Home Care & Physical Therapy: Helping Seniors with Rehabilitation
When your senior loved one is discharged from the hospital or rehabilitation facility, they usually need more outpatient therapy with exercises at home. If your senior is also recovering from surgery, illness, or injury, this can seem overwhelming for everyone involved. However, a professional in-home caregiver can provide the needed support (physically, mentally, and emotionally) for your senior and family members. Here, we’ll dive into why a senior’s physical therapy exercises are essential and how a caregiver can assist with their progression through physical therapy.
The Importance of Seniors’ Physical Therapy
After a continued period of immobility, your senior has lost some of their strength and mobility. In order to prevent delayed recovery, physical therapy is vital to their care! Your senior’s medical team will review their physical therapy treatment plan, but your senior and their primary caregivers will be responsible for the at-home exercises.
The at-home exercises are crucial to your senior’s success in physical therapy. There can be long-term mobility problems without the exercises, but your senior can regain their strength if they complete the exercises daily as instructed. However, your aging parent may need extra encouragement and support to keep up with physical therapy appointments and exercises. This can become tiresome for family caregivers, and schedules may not allow for the additional support. An in-home caregiver can provide this needed help so your family member can stay on the path to recovery!
In-Home Caregiver’s Role in Physical Therapy
Caregivers provide a variety of services for your senior’s recovery. At Caregiver’s United, we specialize in cardiovascular care, dementia care, and recovery care. Physical therapy might be a part of any of these care plans, and a trained in-home caregiver can assist in many different ways.
First, caregivers can help ensure your senior family member completes the exercises correctly. If they complete an exercise incorrectly, it could cause further injury or discomfort. An in-home caregiver will follow the physical therapy team’s instructions and offer extra support if needed.
If your senior struggles to remember to complete their exercises or lacks motivation, their caregiver can help! Part of a caregiver’s role is maintaining medication schedules, vitals, and at-home exercises. Sometimes, a senior needs a little nudge to complete their physical therapy work, and that’s where a caregiver is a great partner!
An expert in-home caregiver can also provide transportation to appointments and communicate with the physical therapy office. If your senior is not able to drive, their caregiver can provide transportation to and from necessary appointments. Additionally, your senior’s caregiver is another person on their team advocating for them and sharing progress with therapists and doctors. We are here to help your senior succeed safely!
Tips to Help Improve Your Senior’s Rehabilitation
If you’re a family caregiver to your senior, you might wonder how you could support them with their rehabilitation. Partnering with a professional in-home caregiving service is a great first step to help provide support to your family and ensure the best care for your senior loved one. Here are some other ways you can help encourage your senior’s rehabilitation and physical therapy progress.
- Keep them comfortable
Your senior parent may feel discomfort during or after exercises. You can help their physical comfort level and confidence by finding ways to reduce extra pain. The exercises will push them, but extra stability and physical support can make a big difference.
- Be an encourager
We know you want the best for your aging parent or grandparent, and being their biggest cheerleader can help them achieve their best! Encourage them when it’s hard, distract them from the pain, and schedule fun activities at home with family or friends to boost their morale.
- Ensure home safety
Partner with your senior’s home caregiver to ensure the home is safe for their recovery. If your senior is able to move around the house freely, check on the house daily to see if any furniture has shifted or items have fallen on the floor. The last thing you or your aging loved one wants is another fall! An in-home caregiver will have a home safety checklist to help with this.
Caregivers United – Sarasota Concierge Care at Home
If your senior loved one is on the path to recovery, but your family needs extra care support, Caregiver’s United is here to help every step of the way. We offer 24/7/365 professional caregiving services for Sarasota, FL, and surrounding areas. We are passionate about providing the highest level of care and treating your aging loved one like they’re a part of our family. Contact Caregivers United today to schedule a free in-home consultation to discuss your family and loved one’s needs!
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