About Us

The DAY-BREAK Geriatric Massage Project was founded by Dietrich Miesler in 1982. Now known as the DAY-BREAK Geriatric Massage Institute, the organization currently has six accredited instructors who teach weekend workshops in Geriatric Massage. DAY-BREAK is approved as a continuing education by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB), by the Florida State Massage Therapy Association (FSMTA), and also by the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC).

In June of 2000, Dietrich retired from active practice and continued to research and write. The operation of the Institute is now in the capable hands of Dr. Sharon Puszko who is the Owner and Director of DAY-BREAK GMI.

The word “geriatric” refers to health impairments that are associated with the later years of life, usually age 65 and older. Hence, this type of massage takes age-related health conditions into account. To do this successfully requires theoretical knowledge and technical skills that go beyond what is usually taught in massage schools as it is not needed in a practice directed at younger clients. Because this information is not readily available, DAY-BREAK was founded to cull pertinent facts from the fields of medicine, psychology, sociology, gerontology and of course the various bodywork disciplines, to develop Geriatric Massage as a specialty. This ever-growing body of knowledge is the basis for our instructional materials, including our books, videos, several correspondence courses, a week-long symposium, and our popular weekend workshops

The rapid increase in our membership and the increasing demand for workshops illustrates the need for qualified training in geriatric massage. Statistics show that thousands of people join the ranks of the 65 year olds every day (this includes the baby boomers who wish to maintain their active lifestyles), and also show that several thousand new massage therapists are graduating from the nation's massage schools every year.

Because of this, there is a match between potential clients and massage therapists trained in geriatric massage. The DAY-BREAK training will allow you to continue with your clients from their robust Senior Olympic phase to age appropriate and into frail and hospice states.