October is Physical Therapy Month, and it’s a great time to learn more about physical therapy at home for seniors and how it can help your mom or dad. If your mom or dad wants to live independently, physical therapy may be able to help them stay strong enough to do that.
Seniors who are aging in place should have senior home care also. Senior home care helps seniors with household chores, getting to medical appointments, making meals, shopping, and many other tasks that need to get done in order for your mom or dad to be safe at home.
Physical therapy at home won’t replace senior home care, but it can help your senior parent increase their muscle strength, flexibility, and ability to walk. Some of the benefits of physical therapy at home for seniors include:
Personalized Care in a Comfortable Setting
Home-based physical therapy for your mom or dad provides personalized care that is tailored to your senior parent’s individual needs and their home environment. Doing physical therapy exercises in the comfort of their home can help make therapy more comfortable and less intimidating for seniors. That can make seniors more likely to do the exercises that they are prescribed.
Convenience and Accessibility
Home therapy eliminates the need for travel, which can be challenging for seniors with mobility issues or those living in remote areas. While senior home care providers can help seniors get to medical appointments, seniors with limited mobility often prefer to have physical therapy at home. Reducing the need for transportation can decrease the risk of falls or injuries while traveling and makes it easier to fit therapy into a busy or limited schedule.
Improved Safety
Physical therapists can assess and address safety concerns in your senior parent’s home, such as identifying potential fall hazards and recommending modifications or adaptive equipment. By improving safety at home physical therapy helps prevent falls and other accidents.
Customized Exercise Plans
Therapists can design exercise programs that are specifically suited to your mom or dad’s home environment and physical capabilities. This includes using available household items as part of the therapy.
When physical therapy is done at home your mom or dad’s senior home care provider can also observe, and ask the physical therapist how best to support your senior parent while they do their exercises.
Tailoring exercises to your senior parent’s daily life makes them more practical and relevant, increasing the likelihood that your mom or dad will do them. And, that leads to improved strength, balance, and mobility.
Enhanced Family Involvement and Support
Therapy sessions at home provide an opportunity for family members to observe and learn about the senior’s therapy needs, allowing them to provide better support and encouragement. Involving family members in the therapy process can enhance motivation and ensure that the senior continues their exercises and adheres to the therapy plan, contributing to better overall outcomes.
If you can’t be at your senior parent’s physical therapy sessions at home a senior home care provider can be. They can take notes and ask questions for you.
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