Physical Therapy

The Role of Physical Therapy in Home Health Care

Physical therapy often helps to decrease the duration and severity of disabilities that arise from chronic diseases such as heart failure and COPD, and helps patients return to their desired daily activities, such as going to church or working in the garden. In addition, at-home physical therapy sessions help patients understand how increased physical activity and better lifestyle choices can lead to weight loss, lower blood pressure and improved mental health. An exercise program may also decrease future cardiac events and improve mortality.

Conditions that may be a good fit for home-care physical therapy may include:

• Post-surgical conditions like a total hip or total knee replacement
• Stroke recovery and rehabilitation once discharged from a facility
• Parkinson’s disease symptom management
• Multiple sclerosis
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• After a cardiac event like a heart attack
• After trauma such as fracture