As you grow older, your body changes, and with these changes, your health can become affected. Older people experience changes in their emotional and physical makeup which in turn affects their social, mental, and physical well-being and function. Physiotherapy aims to identify, address and manage the cause of these problems. Helping to improve physical conditioning, functional independence and quality of life.
Key benefits of elderly rehabilitation
1. Prevention and recovery from falls
Falls are one of the key reasons for hospital admission, injury and early mortality in the elderly population. Most of the physical and psychological causes of falls are as a result of natural aging, injury or illness. Physiotherapy aims to help reverse these changes or reduce their impact on day to day life.
Firstly, a thorough assessment will be carried out to determine the physical, environmental or psychological factors which have contributed to a previous fall or pose as risk factors to a potential future fall. Secondly, a management plan will be provided to address the findings of the assessment.
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Exercise programme (supported by our rehabilitation app)
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Advice and education on falls prevention strategies
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Advice on environmental factors
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Advice and provision of walking aids
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Advice and provision of basic home equipment
2. Improved recovery post surgery
Targeted exercise can be used to improve post surgical outcomes. Most commonly orthopaedic joint replacement or fracture repair. However, graded supervised exercise can be used to promote recovery and rehabilitation after a wide variety of surgical procedures.
Rehabilitation can also be provided for deconditioning as a result of hospital admission.
3. Pain management
It is common as we age to suffer from aches and pains. These can be caused by arthritis, injury or general lack of mobility. Pain medication is often the first choice treatment for these ailments. However, they often do not address the underlying cause of the pain and just “mask the symptoms”. Physiotherapy aims to help address the cause of the pain by improving strength, mobility and function. Even when the cause of the pain is something that can’t be fixed, Physiotherapy still looks to get you back to doing what you love.