Paulette Johnson, a resident at The Village of St. Elizabeth Mills, gets a massage form Amber Snively, a massage therapy student at Mohawk College. – Photo by Mark Newman
Jun 07, 2017 – by Mark Newman at Hamilton Mountain News
Paulette Johnston couldn’t be happier.
The Village of St. Elizabeth Mills (formerly St. Elizabeth Village) resident said the new on-site and accessible massage therapy clinic being staffed by Mohawk College students is a welcome addition to the west Mountain retirement community of more than 1,000 people.
“It’s wonderful to have it right here at the village,” said Johnston, who moved to St. Elizabeth seven years ago after her husband died. “It’s popular.”
Dozens of residents have received massages since the clinic opened about two weeks ago.
The official opening was held last Friday.
St. Elizabeth residents pay $10 plus HST for each massage in the clinic located in Suite 205 of the administration building.
The service is also available to the public at $30 plus HST per massage.
“This is real-life experience with real rooms and real clients,” said Chris Owen, a professor of massage therapy at Mohawk College.
More than 200 massage therapy students will work at the eight-table clinic three days a week and will be supervised by registered massage therapists.
Setting up a clinic at St. Elizabeth was the idea of Maurine Parzen, a member of Mohawk’s faculty of nursing and former associate dean of the justice and wellness program that includes massage therapy.
Parzen is Paulette Johnston’s daughter and she feels her mother and the other residents would benefit from having low cost therapeutic massage available to them on site. “I think it’s an amazing opportunity to bring some interventions to the villagers here,” she said.
Tanya Pirie, director of operations-resident services at St. Elizabeth, said the clinic is going over very well with the residents. “It’s great therapy and it’s also very relaxing,” she said.
The clinic operates Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
One-hour massage sessions can be booked by calling 905-575-1212 ext. 3756 or emailing mtclinicbookings@mohawkcollege.ca.