Common Senior Health Issues That Benefit From Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy Indianapolis
A physical therapist is a trained medical professional. It’s a PT’s role to evaluate a patient’s condition and establish a plan to help recover from surgery or bone fracture, pain management, or improved coordination, balance, or movement.
Your dad’s doctor may recommend that your dad works with a physical therapist for many reasons. Here are some of the more common reasons physical therapy is recommended.
Vertigo and Poor Balance
Inner ear problems with aging can lead to vertigo and a loss of balance. If your dad is experiencing vertigo, it’s not surprising. Three out of ten adults over 60 do, and that dizziness puts your dad at risk of falling.
Vertigo is not the only thing that causes poor balance. People with Alzheimer’s disease often start experiencing vision loss, particularly finding it hard to judge depth perception. That can make it hard to walk steadily. A physical therapist can help with balance training.
Stroke
After a stroke, your dad may not be able to use one side of his body. Walking is a skill he has to learn all over again. A physical therapist can help him regain mobility. If he needs a walker or wheelchair, his physical therapist will help him master how to use them.
Parkinson’s Disease
As Parkinson’s worsens, your dad’s gait, balance, and mobility are all affected. With physical therapy, he builds strength and balance skills, helping him stay as mobile as possible for longer.
Osteoarthritis
Getting older often means osteoarthritis sets in. When an ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder is in pain, the instinct to take it easy kicks in. Taking it easy can worsen the pain, as the joint keeps stiffening up. Working with a physical therapist can help maintain flexibility and mobility in the affected joints.
Joint Replacement
If your dad’s joints wear out over time, sessions should follow the joint replacement surgery with a physical therapist to help build muscle strength around that joint. He needs to learn how to walk or move again to keep his new joint healthy.
Bone Fracture
If your dad falls or is in an accident and fractures a bone, he’ll be in a cast or splint until it heals. Plus, he’s going to take it easy for a bit. Once he’s able to use his arm, leg, or whatever was broken, he’ll have exercises to build back muscle strength. Physical therapy helps with that.
Would it help to have physical therapy services at your dad’s home? Instead of having to support his weight as he gets in and out of your car, have physical therapists come to his home. With home health care services like physical therapy, it’s possible. Call to learn more.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Physical Therapy in Indianapolis, IN, please call the caring staff at Home Services Unlimited. Serving the Greater Indianapolis Area. Call for Immediate Info & Assistance: (317) 471-0760.
Sources:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2015.00144/full
As a practicing Registered Nurse, Etelka was keenly aware of a void in quality patient care that could be provided in the home. She embarked upon a journey to develop a home health care agency that would exceed all expectations and become a trusted partner to physicians and patients.
A Distinguished Career From Nurse to Director of Nursing to President of Home Services Unlimited
Etelka’s distinguished career followed a logical progression to her position as President of Home Services Unlimited. She graduated as a nurse practitioner with a Bachelor of Nursing (RN) in 1972 from Meshgorya University in the Ukraine, close to where she lived with her family. She married her husband Phil in 1973 and decided in 1977 that they would relocate to the United States to be closer to family and to come to this land of opportunity. With an eagerness to continue her budding career, Etelka sat for and passed her Boards in the U.S. in 1979.
A Love and Talent for Working with the Elderly
Etelka began her nursing career in the U.S. at Colonial Crest, now part of Golden Living, where she was the In-service Coordinator, the Director of Training and Education and Director of Nursing, a position she occupied for several years.
With a group of partners, she co-founded Adept Corporation, which operated group homes for the mentally challenged. The business was successful and in 1996, Etelka sold her share to return to her roots, caring for the elderly.
In January of 1997, Etelka opened Home Services Unlimited as a fully licensed business to provide home health care. In her quest to learn to do better for her patients, she had already obtained a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) in May of 1990 from the College of St. Francis. As President of Home Services Unlimited, Inc., Etelka guides the trusted, experienced care model Home Services Unlimited uses to continue providing excellent home health care.
Giving Back to the Community of Indianapolis
Volunteering for community services is a high priority for Etelka. Her memberships include the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Executive Women in Health Care and the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care, where she is a member of the Board of Directors.
Etelka has also served on the Board of Directors with Hooverwood Home, a highly regarded geriatric facility, since 1997 and as the President for 2005-2006. Through her community work, she has received several awards and accolades, including the Nora McFarland award in 2002, from the Indiana Association of Home and Hospice Care.
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