How Does Physical Therapy Help Seniors
Improves Mobility
- Physical Therapy can improve mobility, balance, and coordination through controlled exercises and movements that strengthen muscles and work on hand-eye coordination.
- This makes it easier for seniors to move around and perform daily activities like going for a walk, cooking, gardening, etc.
- Improved mobility also reduces fall risk and can help prevent injuries that are commonplace for many people as they age.
Pain Management
- Physical Therapy can help alleviate pain caused by common aging afflictions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, general deconditioning, and balance disorders, to name a few.
- Physical Therapy can also help reduce the need for pain medication and improve senior’s quality of life as they manage physical ailments through a more holistic approach with longer-term benefits, and fewer side effects.
Increased Independence
- Physical Therapy can help improve physical abilities like hand-eye coordination, muscular strength, joint mobility and flexibility. Physical well-being can help seniors maintain their independence so that they can live in their own homes, safely for longer.
- Declining physical strength also can also create insecurity around completing daily tasks independently. Many seniors who live on their own and have difficulty with their balance or gait can feel nervous if they have to walk to their mailbox or drive to the grocery store. Physical therapy can help restore that sense of capability by helping to manage their physical changes, and allowing them to live life on their terms.
Enhanced Cardiovascular Health
- Physical Therapy can help improve cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart and lungs through physical movement and exercise.
- This also helps reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other related conditions.
Rehabilitation After Surgery
- Physical Therapy can help seniors recover after surgery by improving their strength, flexibility, and range of motion.
- It also helps reduce the need for continued medication or having them stay in a skilled nursing facility or the hospital for an extended period to help with their recovery.
- Working on strengthening joints and muscles after a surgery like hip or knee replacement, allows seniors to enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle.
Management of Chronic Conditions
- Physical Therapy can help manage progressive conditions like arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis by improving physical function and reducing the impact of symptoms.
Improved Mental Health
- Physical Therapy can have a positive impact on the mental health of seniors by improving their mood, reducing anxiety, and depression, and enhancing their general sense of well-being.
- One of the most common mental health issues for seniors is being overwhelmed or feeling a loss of control as their body’s health and abilities change. With physical therapy, seniors are able to regain that control and feel confident doing things that can help maintain their independence and sense of agency.
Benefits of Physical Therapy for Different Conditions
Progressive Conditions
- Arthritis, Parkinson’s, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, Dementia, Degenerative joint disease.
- Progressive conditions are just that – progressive. This means that they will continue to worsen over a period of time. While most progressive conditions are not reversible, Physical Therapy can help reduce their impacts and slow down their progressive nature by focusing on developing muscular strength and mobility to keep symptoms at bay.
Balance Disorders
- Difficulty with gait (caused by arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, vision problems, or inner ear imbalances), Posture training.
- Balance disorders can be caused or triggered by a number of health issues. Physical therapy helps reduce those symptoms by following a customized plan that focuses on strength building and improving hand eye coordination.
General Aging
- Hip pain, Knee pain, General deconditioning, Muscle weakness, Urinary incontinence, Fall prevention.
- Physical therapy can help degenerative conditions that are normal as the human body ages. It can help strengthen muscles, increase joint flexibility, and focuses on coordination to help reduce joint pain, and the risk of falls.
Pre and Post Operative Care
- Prehab before joint replacement
- Rehab post surgery for hip or knee replacement
- Recovering from surgery at any age can have challenges. For seniors, these factors can have long-term impacts if they are not adequately prepared.
- Physical therapy goes beyond general exercise because it is specially tailored to an individuals physical strength and abilities. Both pre and post operative physical therapy can be helpful in reducing symptoms, speeding up the healing process, and aiding a successful outcome to the surgery.
Benefits of Physical Therapy at Home
Overall, PT can be an effective way to improve the health and well-being of the elderly as they age. Here are a few benefits of Physical Therapy at home:
Consistency
- Firstly, seniors can maintain consistent sessions because therapists come to them, in the comfort of their home.
Focus
- Also, at-home sessions allow physical therapists to customize the plan to their patient’s needs, because the focus is solely on them.
Safety
- Additionally, high-risk or less mobile patients are also able to receive physical therapy without having to arrange for medical transportation or arranging for a caregiver to accompany them.
Personalized Care
- Especially important is the fact that therapists are able to see seniors in their home environment which allows them to specify both exercises and a treatment plan to benefit them in those surroundings.
Comfort
- Lastly, the comfort of being in your own home is an added source of confidence for seniors who are able to focus on the therapy session without having to worry about logistics or being in a new environment.
Care Mountain
Our Promise
- Organizing in-home physical therapy for your loved one can be challenging. There is a lot of complexity and nuanced technical understanding to develop the correct physical therapy plan for your loved one. With the right care, timely care plan implementation, and an experienced therapist to oversee the process, physical therapy at home can be incredibly beneficial for seniors experiencing any aging-related or health condition related ailments.
- An experienced physical therapist has the patience, multi-faceted expertise, and knowledge to support their patients maintain their sense of self, mental acuity and physical autonomy to help them live with dignity and agency.
Trusted Commitment
- Our quality caregivers undergo national background checks, extensive reference checks, and in-person interviews to ensure that they can provide the expert and personalized care necessary for a successful live-in care plan.
Skilled Expertise
- We have extensive experience over almost 2 decades of providing 24/7 Live-in Care in the Dallas and Fort Worth area, including high quality physical therapists to families across Dallas and Ft. Worth and ranging from Arlington, Southlake, Preston Hollow, Highland Park, Plano, McKinney, Allen and Friso – Care Mountain is well-versed in understanding the nuances and specifics of every family needing caregivers to support their loved ones.
When you work with Care Mountain to manage your loved ones needs, our commitment is to ensure high quality care with a personalized care plan.
Contact us today to help with your physical therapy needs
2023-02-27 20:47:49
Gagan Bhalla is the Executive Director of Care Mountain Home Health Care. For over 19 years, Care Mountain has offered dedicated expertise in senior in-home care in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Managing seven locations across Texas, Gagan has committed his life to enhancing the well-being of seniors and their families needing home health care. Through insightful articles and blogs, he shares his wealth of knowledge, empowering families to make informed decisions about home care. Trust Gagan’s experience to guide you on the path to compassionate and professional senior care.