By Jeff Baird, Sunrise Reiki Colorado
As loved ones age, families are faced with several tough decisions that need to be made to ensure their safety and well-being. Maybe there has been a recent fall or the death of a spouse or recent diagnosis that has made living at home no longer the best choice. A senior’s life can be turned upside down in a moment and the decisions that need to be made after such an event can be overwhelming. There is so much to think about.
As of 2024, there were over 30,000 senior living communities in the United States. As our population continues to age, the main question facing industry leaders is how we are going to take care of all these seniors with staff shortages, caregiver burnout and the major healthcare worker exodus that took place after Covid. According to the NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing, 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the pandemic and almost 900,000 plan to leave by 2027.
A few years ago, I became interested in entering the senior living industry. I was fortunate to join one of the top organizations that is known for their around the clock care, world class dining, robust activity schedule and beautiful environments. What struck me when meeting with families was how exhausted and stressed out these people were. Many would cry during our meetings, and I thought what a blessing Reiki would be for everyone involved. With Reiki coming from our eyes, I always did my best to maintain eye contact with the people I met with who were in such a fragile state.
I love to visit senior living communities where I introduce residents to the wonder of Reiki with a PowerPoint presentation, followed by 7–8-minute Reiki “samples” for them to experience the healing energy. Reiki always amazes me at what it can do for someone in less than ten minutes. Yesterday, I worked on a couple of women who were in wheelchairs and many other seniors who were excited to get on the Reiki table. It was a busy afternoon and I was in my happy place.
One of the slides in my presentation is a quote from the American Nurse Journal:
“Nurses in U.S. hospitals report that their work is mentally and physically exhausting and that they suffer from burnout. Many nurses worry that their fatigue will affect patient care and consider resigning. Once you are trained in Reiki, you can perform self-Reiki (conducting a series of hand placements on yourself) as a method to aid relaxation and improve resilience. Incorporating self-Reiki and adhering to the Reiki principles may help alleviate the stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, and pain related to the physical demands of patient care.”
After my presentation and Reiki samples, I come back to the community a couple of weeks later and offer full sessions at a reduced rate. Us seniors love our discounts! All I ask from the community is that I have a quiet room where I can set up my table, dim the lights and play some soft, calming music. Also, I meet the seniors where they are. I have shared Reiki with many who use walkers and wheelchairs. In those cases, the seniors are more comfortable sitting in a chair instead of getting on a table where it might not be safe. My #1 goal is to make them as comfortable as possible. Depending on what they tell me, I usually have them hold a bag of Anchi crystals or other crystals that could enhance the Reiki session as well. Crystals and stones are incorporated into all my sessions, along with my trusty singing pyramid for sound healing.
Recently, I shared Reiki with a gentleman for just under ten minutes after my presentation. He was quite the athlete in his younger years and was now dealing with pain throughout his body. His back, shoulders, neck, and knees needed a lot of attention. He was a large man and got on my table and laid face down. After using byosen scanning, I decided to focus on his lower back, neck, and the area between his shoulder blades. Afterwards, he did not want to get off the table. He asked me, “Do you have magic hands or something? This feeling I have right now is never going to leave, right?” I love working with seniors and always spend extra time just hanging out with them and sharing many laughs together.
It seems like I’ve always loved seniors. Growing up, my grandpa was the first senior I loved and a true hero of mine. He was such an amazing man and I miss him to this day. The world stopped turning the day he passed away. It had to, so I could catch my breath.
A lot of times seniors need things to slow down long enough so that they can catch their breath after a life changing event. Reiki makes it easier for us to pause and take a deep breath. The healing energy slows our wheels down so that we can focus on one thing – the moment at hand. Worries and distractions become more distant as Reiki sends low lying energies to the light and replaces them with a higher vibration. Reiki is not interested in age; just delivering a gift that takes us to a higher level in body, mind, and spirit.
Many of the seniors I share Reiki with are old hippies. They understand it and welcome me with open arms. You’re never too old to try Reiki. I once shared Reiki with a 101-year-old woman who did get on my table. It is still one of my favorite Reiki memories. I had worked on her daughter in the past and she joined her mom that day and sat in a chair in the treatment room. The first thing she said to her daughter after she was lying on the table was, “Look! He’s already messing up my hair!” When the session was over, she told me how much better her back felt and how “everything feels better.”
If you are interested in offering Reiki at your senior community, please reach out to discuss further. You’ll be glad you did and your residents will thank you for it. (720) 250-8107. jeff@sunrisereikicolorado.com