Included in This Article:
Settings Where Physical Therapy Can Be Provided
Why Some People Choose "In Home Physical Therapy"
What the Actual Treatment Sessions Look Like
Benefits of In Home Physical Therapy
Difference Between Home Health Physical Therapy and OutPatient Physical Therapy In The Home
What To Do If Your Home Health Physical Therapy Ended and You Still Need Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy for adults can be provided in a variety of settings including the hospital, in-patient rehab center (Nursing Facility), outpatient clinic or in your home. Therapy in the home has many benefits and many people prefer to have therapists come into their home for a number of reasons. Some individuals may not be able to leave their home because of physical limitations, or for some it may take a considerable amount of effort to leave the home. Other reasons may include not being able to drive anymore, not having a car and not having someone available to drive them there. And, for some, it is too exhausting to have to get ready and leave the home, then participate in therapy and then drive back home. Nowadays, many people want to avoid the risk of Covid-19 infection by not being around a lot of other people and because of this, prefer to have a Therapist come to the home.
- The Actual Physical Therapy session
The first session is the evaluation and is identical to any evaluation performed outside of the home. The Therapist gets information about your medical history, finds out what your goals are, tests your muscle strength, balance, range of motion and assesses your mobility and function. One benefit of having your evaluation performed in the home is that the therapist can assess your mobility and function within the actual setup of your home. They can see your actual chairs, stairs and bathroom setup. This is helpful because they can see the difficulties you may be facing and develop goals and a treatment plan to address them.
The actual treatment sessions on subsequent visits are also very similar minus the fancy equipment and heavy weights that a facility might have. Functional exercises and activities, aerobic exercises, strengthening exercises, balance exercises and stretching exercises can all be performed within the home. Additionally, all of the muscles that are targeted with equipment in a facility can also be targeted at home with body weight resistance, manual resistance or with resistance bands.
Your therapist may spend a portion of your session having you practice accessing a difficult to reach area of your home or practicing one of your goals and the remainder of the session having you perform strengthening exercises, balance exercises and flexibility exercises. They may use hands-on techniques to guide you through the exercises or help to improve your flexibility. Your Therapist will adjust your sessions based on what they and you think is most important for helping you achieve your goals.
- Benefits of In Home Physical Therapy
Therapists observe how you function within your home environment and recommend home modifications for safety and to facilitate every day activities.
Tailored treatment sessions based on what you need to do in your home.
Help figure out safe ways for you to access your home and to get around in its specific setup.
Provide you with a home exercise program, walking program and balance exercises based on the set up of your home.
Clients adhere more to their home exercises because they are shown exactly what to do and where to do it within their home.
Helps to decrease risk of falls because you are working on safety within your home environment.
- The Difference Between Home Care Agency Therapy in the Home & Outpatient Therapy in the Home
There are 2 types of therapy in the home - Outpatient Physical Therapy at Home and Home Health Agency Physical Therapy at home.
Therapy provided by a Home Health Agency and Outpatient Therapy at Home are the same on the surface. Home Health Agency Physical Therapy can only be provided if the individual is considered “home-bound”, which means it is very difficult for them to leave their home. It is reimbursed based on how limited you are and this limits the number of sessions received.
Outpatient Physical Therapy at Home is reimbursed based on the actual services provided and is not restricted to individuals who are home-bound. Because of this, it can be more accessible and it usually provides more visits than Home Health Agency Physical Therapy.
- What To do If Home Health Agency Therapy Ends and You Still Need Therapy
If you had a stay at a hospital or Subacute Rehab facility (Nursing facility) and now you are back home and receiving therapy this is probably Home Health Agency Therapy Services.
You may have been referred directly to the Home Health Agency Therapy by your Doctor. The amount of this therapy you receive is significantly less than at a Subacute Rehab facility. Sometimes it is only 1 session a week. The good news is, when your Home Health Agency services end completely, you may qualify for Outpatient Therapy in your Home.
With Outpatient Physical Therapy at Home you can receive therapy up to 5 sessions a week as long as it is medically necessary. You can speak to your Home Health Agency or Doctor for a referral to Outpatient Physical Therapy in the Home or find one online.
Not sure where to start? Merge Rehabilitation can help. We offer Outpatient Therapy in the convenience of your home to help keep you active and mobile to maintain function & independence. Servicing Croton-On-Hudson, NY and Surrounding Areas.
