What physios do to support people in aged care
Discover how physiotherapists can help us live better lives as we age.
Physiotherapists assess, diagnose and treat conditions and injuries that impact on a person’s physical capacity to carry out tasks and daily activities. They work with clients to manage pain and mobility, with the goal of improving or maintaining each person’s quality of life.
Physiotherapists, or physios as they’re known colloquially, can assist older people to continue to engage in daily tasks and hobbies by improving and maintaining physical capacity. This support includes managing pain, reducing falls risk, improving strength and mobility, pelvic floor retraining to address incontinence, and assisting with rehabilitation after injury or surgery.
integratedliving Physiotherapist Bess loves seeing clients reach their goals.
“I was able to assist a client increase her walking capacity through a strength training program and the prescription of a walking aid,” Bess said. “This improved her ability and confidence to walk, and she told me that her quality of life had also improved as she was able to engage in activities she enjoyed outside her home again.”
Maintaining independence is vital as we age, and physiotherapy can make a significant difference in people’s lives.
“It might be something that used to be easy like being able to go for a walk outside the home,” Bess said. “Or feeling confident walking to the toilet independently or being able to effectively use utensils when eating.
Many people experience challenges doing these tasks as they get older and face health issues and chronic pain.
“We have assisted many people to overcome or adapt to these and many other challenges,” Bess said. “We do this through manual therapy including massage for pain management, the prescription of exercises to improve mobility, balance, coordination and strength, education and through the prescription of walking aids.
“I’ve also been able to assist clients to better manage their lung disease. This enabled them to engage in daily activities with reduced breathlessness and prevent infections,” Bess said.
Our physiotherapy team can visit clients in their homes or via our Telehealth service.
“Being able to access physiotherapy services online via Zoom or FaceTime is particularly important for our clients who live in rural and remote areas where there may not be a physiotherapist,” Bess said.