Physical Therapy For Elderly At Home

What is In-Home Physical Therapy? – Home Advantage Rehabilitation

Physical Therapy itself is a healthcare profession concerned with the rehabilitation of impairments and disabilities incurred as a result of disease or injury. PT’s take a thorough history and provide a physical examination to diagnose and establish a plan of care focused on the alleviation of pain, improvement of range of motion, strength, balance, and endurance to achieve the optimum level of comfort and functional mobility. Physical Therapy for Elderly at Home is often requested by geriatric patients who are unable to leave their place of living, but still have a medical ailment that needs therapeutic treatment.

So How Does This Apply To Home Care?

At Home Advantage Rehabilitation Solutions, our therapists are equipped with most of the same tools that are used in the clinic itself. This includes some of the following: portable bikes, upper extremity ergometers, steppers, hydrocollator and cold packs, electric stimulators, ultrasound units, weights, resistance bands, balance boards, and vestibular discs.

How Can Physical Therapy for Elderly at Home Help?

home health pt for seniors

Essentially, it depends on your type of ailment and level of discomfort.

Often, strength training is key when it comes to treating an elderly patient through physical therapy. Elderly patients are often disheartened by their lack of physical stamina. Even if someone’s endurance is not what it once was, there is hope to improve his or her way of life. By making some changes to their daily lives to include physical activities, geriatric patients can improve their strength and coordination.

It is no secret that we lose muscle mass as we age. However, we do have the ability to slow the rate with which we lose our strength. The elderly patients who do not exercise see a much more rapid decrease in strength and muscle mass than those who do. By adding a strength training program to their lives, the geriatric community can remain strong and improve their lives in the process.

When we work out we strengthen our muscles, bones and tendons by increasing their size and density. When we don’t work out the opposite happens. Our muscles and bones can actually shrink and become less dense when we don’t use them and this happens at a much faster rate as we age. Even elderly patients with poor strength can see results relatively quickly if they begin a proper strength training program.

One of the main reasons that older patients choose not to participate in strength training is that they fear the workouts will be too strenuous and cause further complications to existing health conditions such as arthritis. Strength training can have negative effects, especially for beginners. Therefore it is wise to consult with a doctor before starting and to come up with a plan to start slowly. Afterward, Physical Therapy for Elderly at Home could be the prescribed plan for treatment.

A typical exercise program consists of both free weight and machine training that works to strengthen both the upper and lower body. It is a good idea to alternate between different body parts when working out and to work out at least three days a week. Just by adding a simple strength training program such as this, a person of any age can improve his or her overall health. Elderly people can have the added benefit of improving their everyday lives by making simple tasks easier to perform.

The staff at Home Advantage Rehabilitation will be happy to help set up a plan that is right for you. Give us a call today at 516-459-9439.

Other Benefits Of Physical Therapy for Elderly at Home

When you choose our team at Home Advantage Rehabilitation Solutions to administer care for the geriatric community, you open yourself up to a wide array of benefits. These benefits of physical therapy in your home include the following:

Eliminate the need for traveling to receive treatment.
Increase strength in the injured area.
Improve flexibility and range of motion.
Regain independence and your ability to partake in your normal daily routine.
Prevent falls and re-injury of the area.

Physical Therapy for Elderly at Home

What Are Some Conditions That Physical Therapy for Elderly at Home Can Help Manage?

Living with the aftermath of certain injuries and conditions can seem like an impossible task. However, when you schedule a session with one of our therapists, symptoms and potential complications are able to be eliminated, getting you back to being pain-free. The most common injuries and conditions we assist patients with include:

Fractures.
Ligament/muscle injuries.
Multiple sclerosis.
Hip, joint, knee, and shoulder replacements.
Arthritis.

Osteoporosis – Can Home Care PT Be Your SOLUTION?

Physical Therapy for Elderly at Home

Is your loved one suffering from osteoporosis? This debilitating condition typically targets the geriatric community. Thankfully, our team at Home Advantage Rehabilitation Solutions provides in home physical therapy for senior citizens. If you or a loved one is unable to travel due to the painful complications associated with osteoporosis, we can help.

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease where the quality of your bones decreases. Your bones become weak and develop miniature holes throughout the bone structure limiting flexibility and overall strength. Your bones become more fragile and brittle which increases the risk of injury. The most common injury with Osteoporosis is a bone fracture. Osteoporosis is a dangerous disease because there aren’t many symptoms until a serious injury occurs.

Osteoporosis requires a medical diagnosis and although there is no cure, there are many preventative measures to take to avoid further injury and help manage pain. Physical Therapy for Elderly at Home can help, with comprehensive rehabilitation.

What causes Osteoporosis?

Bones are constantly changing throughout your lifetime. The lack of important hormones in your body is the leading cause of osteoporosis. A decrease in estrogen in women and androgen in men can cause the development of Osteoporosis in your bones. This unfortunate disease is more common among people over the age of 60.

Although uncommon for people under 60, the lack of calcium can play a huge factor in the development of Osteoporosis. You need calcium to repair and build new bone throughout the body, and without this mineral, your body is breaking down faster then it has time to replace. Over-time you will end up with fragile and delicate bones which can greatly decrease your quality of life.

Treatment For Osteoporosis

Although there is no cure, medication and a healthy diet can improve conditions. Treatment usually focuses on preventing more bone loss and improving the quality of the bones around your body. Lifting weights and exercising to increase strength in the muscles can reduce the risk of bone fractures as well. An increase of calcium in your diet can also help with bone repair. Home care physical therapy is also known to ease tension and improve strength in the body.