The effect of foot massage on long-term care staff stress levels, anxiety, mood state, somatic symptoms and experiences of working with people with dementia

Foot massage involving long gliding, rhythmical strokes of the entire foot and ankle, and light pressure massage by a certified therapist before the start of each of the staff participant rostered shifts over 4 weeks. All foot massages will be conducted in a quiet, separate room with a closed door displaying a ‘Do not disturb’ sign to enhance privacy and create a more conducive, therapeutic environment. The intervention consists of 5 minutes massage for each foot and depending on the number of shifts each participant works per week, participants will receive between 12-20 massages over the 4 week period. Following a 2-week ‘washout’ period of no activity, intended to reduce potential treatment carryover effects, participants will then ‘cross-over’ into the opposite treatment group and the protocol will be repeated for another 4 weeks.