What Does Physical Therapy Look Like in a Senior Living Community?

Physical therapy helps seniors strengthen muscles, improve the flexibility of joints and enhance coordination. Seniors sometimes need physical therapy after an injury or during recovery from a planned surgery. It can also help seniors who experience age-related changes in bones and muscles. 

Reasons Seniors Get Physical Therapy

Seniors might opt into a physical therapy program for a variety of reasons. Here are some reasons you might want to check out a physical therapy program to see if regular sessions are right for you.

Physical Therapy to Enhance Recovery

In some cases, physical therapy may be part of short-term rehab that helps you get back on your feet, often literally, after an injury, accident or surgery. Directed physical motion gets joints and muscles working properly again, reducing recovery time and helping you regain mobility. 

Preventative Physical Therapy

If you have an ongoing condition affecting joints or muscles, such as arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome, or you're prone to coordination issues that might lead to falls, you might benefit from preventative physical therapy. Physical therapy also helps individuals with specific health issues control tremors, reduce vertigo, strengthen muscles, improve range of motion and reduce inflammation.

Better Quality of Life 

A regular physical therapy program boosts mental and physical health, improving your overall quality of life. If you're dealing with a chronic condition, physical therapy sessions help reduce symptoms that hamper daily activities, so you can do more of the things you love.

Staying Active and Involved

Physical therapy keeps you active, and any physical activity contributes to overall health and wellness. If you have a condition that limits regular exercise, a physical therapist might suggest alternative activities or work with you to improve strength and coordination to a point where you can participate in your favorite exercises again.

Increase in Independence

Staying strong, healthy and mobile makes it easier to complete everyday tasks and participate in leisure activities. Physical therapy helps support an independent lifestyle for busy seniors.

Improved Self-Esteem

Being able to get around without assistance boosts self-esteem, and physical therapy can help keep the body healthy and mobile to foster independence.

Building Endurance

Regular physical therapy builds endurance, making everyday tasks and casual physical activity easier. 

Increased Coordination and Mobility

Strengthening the muscles and joints through physical therapy helps improve overall mobility and coordination, reducing the risk of falls or other injuries.

What Happens in Physical Therapy?

Before you start physical therapy, the therapist coordinates with your regular medical team to determine the reasons and goals for your sessions. If you're recovering from surgery or an injury, the initial goal might involve reducing pain, improving recovery time and building strength in the affected limb. 

The specific exercises and activities are tailored to you, so no two programs are the same. You may get a massage to ease the muscles and joints at the affected site before engaging in exercises targeting the muscle or joint. Stretching the joint at specific points is another way the physical therapist might address specific issues. 

You might go through a series of exercises designed to build strength and flexibility during physical therapy sessions. The therapist may assign exercises for you to do at home between sessions to keep the joints and muscles limber and retain the progress gained during your session. 

Easy Access to Physical Therapy at Aberdeen Village

At Aberdeen Village, seniors can easily access physical therapy for recovery or general mobility improvement. Therapists communicate directly with nurses and other caregivers to coordinate physical therapy sessions and create a plan that takes into account specific situations and needs.

Having a regular physical therapist on-site creates an increased level of engagement, making progress go smoothly, whether you're recovering from a planned hip replacement, getting back in action after a broken wrist heals or simply trying to maintain balance and coordination over time.

At Aberdeen Village, we’re proud to partner with incredible physical therapists to improve our residents' strength, mobility and coordination. Learn more about our PATH® program today and how this makes a difference in seniors’ lives!