Avoid Physical Injury to Our Elderly; Physical Therapy is the Key!

When we think of Physical Therapy, the pictures that usually come to mind are severe accidents, injuries, and conditions. We think of it as a remedial program for those who are suffering from the aftermaths of such events. However, what we fail to realize is that Physical Therapy has a broader scope than that.

Usually, we think of our seniors, our grandparents, for example, as people who need intensive care from the doctors. We have to understand that that may not be the case for others. Yes, that might be very helpful for some, but not every elderly needs it.

Some elderly just need to have their strength and balance improved, to stay active even in their condition, and to build their confidence back. That’s not something a doctor can help the elderly with. They can really use all those benefits from Physical Therapy. All these can really contribute to their well being and physical independence.

Physical Injury to Our Elderly

The seniors who seek help from Physical Therapists also have less tendency of falling. Falling is something that seniors should avoid. This can cause them a lot of pain and injury, such as a broken hip that may cause a downward spiral. A lot of falling cases of seniors are reported every year, and most of these people end up being hospitalized for days. For some, this is the sole cause of death. For others, they never get back to their normal physical condition after the fall.

So, to help our seniors avoid these types of scenarios, we should strengthen their physical abilities by sending them to the right Physical Therapists to get them in shape.

A sense of physical independence is important to all of us. Majority of us cannot accept being dependent physically. We want to move around whenever we want, however we want to. We don’t want to rely on someone just to execute something very simple. Research has shown that the decline of the elderly people’s overall health is a result of the lack of ability to perform the simple tasks that they used to do with ease a few years back, such as walking, dressing, and even bathing. These are very basic things, and the inability to do these things can lead to problems, even emotional ones.

Aside from the exercises and routines that your loved one will be asked to perform in the therapist’s clinic, he or she will also be taught a few exercises that can be done at home. The target here is to get our elderly as physically fit as possible, so that they can manage even a few things on their own. This is to help them maintain balance to avoid falls that cause serious injuries to people in their age bracket.

There are times when you need a doctor’s referral first before you can send your loved one to a good physical therapist. And do not worry of the costs just yet. You can check with the insurance to figure out the policy that the insurance covers. Let’s not wait for something serious to happen to our loved ones. Sending them to the care of a physical therapist is one huge step to keep them healthy, independent, and most of all, fall-proof.