Home Health Physical Therapy

Home health physical therapy may be part of your care plan if you are having difficulty moving around your home or have had falls due to pain, illness, injury or surgery. For example, in-home physical therapy may be prescribed for you by your doctor if you qualify for home health and you have the following:

• Surgery like a knee or hip replacement
• Recent heart attack
• Acute-onset medical condition
• Exacerbation of a chronic medical condition like heart failure, COPD or diabetes
• Trouble with balance or falls
• Difficulty walking or moving around
• Pain after an injury, surgery or illness
• Functional decline related to a progressive neurological condition such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis or ALS
• Suffered from a stroke and have loss of use of one or more extremities

Our at-home physical therapists and physical therapy assistants help you move with greater ease in the comfort of your home. Your plan of care is based on your needs and your doctor’s orders. Physical therapy for seniors is designed to restore normal mobility or maintain the highest level of functioning possible, so you can do daily tasks and activities you enjoy.

WHAT IS PHYSICAL THERAPY?

A doctor may order in-home physical therapy for seniors who have had an injury, surgery or illness that makes it hard to do daily tasks.

If you need home health care physical therapy, you’ll work with a physical therapist – an educated, licensed professional with specialized training. These specialists understand how the body works and what it needs so you can do the things you care about most. Our physical therapists create personalized plans using a variety of treatment techniques such as balance retraining, stretching and strengthening exercises, gait training, teaching fall reduction strategies, physical agent modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation and hot and cold therapy, and patient and caregiver education.

WHERE IS HOME HEALTH PHYSICAL THERAPY PROVIDED?

With home health care physical therapy for the elderly, a physical therapist comes to your home. This can be your private residence, a family member’s home, a group home or a senior living community.

AMEDISYS IN-HOME PHYSICAL THERAPY SERVICES

An Amedisys physical therapist will work with you, your doctor, caregiver and other members of the home health care team to understand your needs. The services you receive will be tailored to your goals and needs. Your in home physical therapy services could include:

• Balance training to help prevent falls
• Vestibular rehabilitation to improve balance and reduce dizziness
• Manual therapy to isolate specific tissues or joints causing pain or other symptoms
• Strength training
• Ultrasound to reduce inflammation and promote blood flow
• Electrical stimulation to reduce pain and improve function
• Heat and cold therapy
• Light therapy
• Training to help you walk or stand independently, or transfer from one place to another
• Education for patients and their caregivers about the patient’s condition, needs and home exercises
• Personalized exercise program
• Practicing using an assistive device like a cane or walker, if needed
• Suggestions to make your home safe such as grab bars or moving rugs

Often, physical therapists for the elderly teach at-home exercises that patients can do between visits to help their progress. As your needs change, your physical therapist will update you and your healthcare team and work to adjust your treatment as needed.

PHYSICAL THERAPY MAY HELP IN SITUATIONS LIKE THESE

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PHYSICAL THERAPY HOME VISITS

With home health care physical therapy, your therapist comes to your home. At your first physical therapy home visit, they will evaluate your needs. You might be asked:

• Are you having pain or other symptoms? What level is your pain?
• Do you have difficulty doing daily tasks like getting out of bed, getting dressed or bathing?
• How are you sleeping?
• Do you have a medical history of illness or other health problems?
• What types of things would you like to be able to do?

Your Amedisys physical therapist might ask you to walk, bend, grasp, climb steps or do other motions to better understand your needs. They will also look at your balance, strength, flexibility, range of motion and posture. At this initial physical therapy home visit, you’ll learn about your treatment plan and how often your physical therapist will visit. You’ll also set up a schedule.

At subsequent physical therapy home visits, you’ll discuss how you’re feeling and any changes since your last visit. You’ll practice exercises and do activities to help you reach your personalized goals. Your physical therapist can teach you how to move safely and help identify environmental hazards at home. They can provide education for your caregiver as well.

At the end of each visit, your Amedisys physical therapist will share updates and progress with the rest of your home health team. This way, all team members who visit you will understand how you’re doing.

HOW LONG IS PHYSICAL THERAPY?

The number of home health physical therapy visits you receive depends on your needs and doctor’s orders. Some patients receive physical therapy for six to eight weeks. If you have a serious or progressive condition, you might require more visits. Alternatively, if your condition improves quickly, you may have only a few home health physical therapy visits along with a home exercise program.

How long is each physical therapy visit? A typical visit is 45 minutes to an hour but the length of physical therapy depends on your needs. Some physical therapists see patients once or twice a week initially, and then once a week once they’re stabilized.

HOME HEALTH PHYSICAL THERAPY GOALS

You’ll work with your doctor and home health team to set up a treatment plan and goals. Your specific focus areas will depend on your condition and needs. Some common home health physical therapy goals include:

• Reduce pain and swelling
• Improve your ability to move around
• Educate patients and caregivers
• Regain muscle control
• Prevent disability or further deterioration
• Return to prior levels of function after a stroke, injury, surgery or accident
• Improve your balance and flexibility
• Increase physical fitness and stamina
• Manage a chronic illness at home
• Improve circulation
• Avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital
• Breathing activities to conserve energy
• Prevent falls and increase home safety
• Teach you safe ways to stand, sit, lie down, and walk up and down stairs
• Learn to use an assistive device like a cane or walker
• Resume normal routines and regain independence

Amedisys physical therapists take the time to review your needs and address issues that you may not have worked on in the past. With us, physical therapy is more than exercises and tasks. It’s about assessing your health and your environment and making changes that improve your day-to-day function.

The benefits of physical therapy for seniors can be significant, especially if patients are willing to learn and try new things. We recognize that change can be hard, so we focus on building a strong patient-therapist relationship first. Then we explore ways to do tasks safely and offer tips at the right pace for you.

Many of our patients have lost hope that they can do tasks they used to be able to do, such as showering on their own, gardening or going to church or the store again. They may believe falling and losing function are an inevitable part of aging. But they aren’t. You may be surprised at what you can accomplish after physical therapy. We’ll empower you with tools to help you continue safely achieving your goals after physical therapy ends.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HOME CARE PHYSICAL THERAPY

There are many misconceptions about physical therapy, especially in the home health setting. Here are a few misconceptions as well as the facts:

IN-HOME PHYSICAL THERAPY COST

Does Medicare cover physical therapy at home? If you’re eligible for home health and your doctor orders physical therapy as part of your plan of care, the in-home physical therapy cost is typically covered by Medicare, Medicaid and some private insurance plans.

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR HOME HEALTH PHYSICAL THERAPY?

To be covered by Medicare and Medicaid, you must meet eligibility criteria for home health care. These include:

• You’re considered homebound. This means it’s very difficult for you to leave home and you need the help of a supportive device (walker, wheelchair, etc.) or another person to do so.
• You need part-time or intermittent skilled care. This may include physical therapy, skilled nursing, speech therapy or an ongoing need for occupational therapy.
• Your doctor orders home health for you.

Ask your doctor if home health care is an option for you.

If you don’t meet these home health criteria, you can still get private physical therapy at home if you pay for it out of pocket or through private insurance. Or you may want to consider a local outpatient clinic.

HOW TO FIND IN-HOME PHYSICAL THERAPY SERVICES NEAR YOU

Since home health physical therapy requires a doctor’s order, many patients find in home physical therapy services through their healthcare provider. Your doctor may refer you to a home health provider like Amedisys.

Here are a few considerations when choosing a physical therapist:

• Does the physical therapist have experience or specialized training in the issues you’re facing?
• Can the physical therapist come to your home?
• Does the provider accept your insurance?

Physical therapy can help seniors with a wide variety of health concerns. If you’re recovering from a surgery or injury or living with a chronic disease, ask your doctor about home health physical therapy. You can also call the Amedisys home health agency near you to find out how physical therapy can help you maintain your independence.