If you’ve ever had to do physical therapy in your life, you already have an idea of what may be included in a physical rehab plan for seniors. If something has happened, or might happen, it’s important to know what all of your rehab options are in order to make an informed decision about your health and to also make the right decision for your lifestyle needs. Participating in any form of physical rehab can be the difference between being able to live a mostly independent life as a senior or needing round-the-clock care in a nursing home facility. In fact, many centenarians chalk up their age and ability to still be mobile to any number of exercise plans that they’ve perfected over the years. Here at Garden Hill Assisted Living, we offer inpatient physical therapy and speech therapy as part of our senior care services here in Columbus. This allows us to help improve the quality of life for each and every individual who calls Garden Hill home.
In general, what rehab options are available for seniors and what are the different components you need to know about for each?
The first factor to consider for rehabilitation needs is the location where the rehab will take place. As a senior, both inpatient and outpatient services exist in order to help an individual recover from surgery, a fall, or other ailment that has caused a decline in physical health.
Inpatient Rehab
There are a variety of inpatient rehab services available at different facilities. The level of care needed for an individual and the amount of time needed to execute that care will influence the type of inpatient rehab facility needed. Some facilities that provide rehab services are long-term facilities, and physical therapy and rehab are regular activities at the facility. Other locations may only do short-term housing for patients to receive intensive care only until there is improvement before discharging a patient back to their own home where they can continue therapy on an outpatient basis.
Outpatient Assistance
Outpatient therapy and assistance happens in a patient’s own home or in a medical facility that the patient will attend for appointments depending on the patient’s needs. These services are ideal for a patient that is strong enough to live on their own but still needs medical guidance for a variety of tasks and exercises directly related to their injury. Outpatient therapy is dictated by a number of things, but mostly the extent of the injury that requires therapy and whether insurance will pay for inpatient versus outpatient. More often than not, insurance will cap the amount of inpatient rehab and then require outpatient therapy after a set amount of time.
Along with deciding whether inpatient or outpatient services are ideal for your needs, you’ll need to work with a medical practitioner in order to figure out the exact types of therapy that you will need in order to help address your medical condition and quality of life. The following are two of the most common therapy options available for seniors.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is a specific type of therapy that focuses on physical and mental rehabilitation by training on daily tasks that are utilized in everyday life by the patient. Occupational therapy can be beneficial for individuals of all ages, but it’s exceptionally helpful for older individuals who need to be able to accomplish various tasks in order to live independently. These tasks help to train both physical muscles and also the mental ability to function day to day.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is the most common form of physical rehab available for a wide variety of ages and specific needs. It’s ideal for seniors because it’s a low impact way to strengthen weak muscle groups and also allows the patient to recover from any injury that may have occurred. Physical therapy helps to improve balance, range of motion, stability, and strength in any needed muscle groups.
Here at Garden Hill Assisted Living, we provide physical therapy and speech therapy for any residents in need of these senior care services. We want to make sure that each resident is able to live the best, most fulfilling life possible when you choose Garden Hill for all your assisted living needs. Call and take a tour of our facility today.