Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy After Falls and Injuries

If a fall and an injury has led to an emergency room visit and a stay in the hospital, seniors may go to a transitional care facility for further recovery before going home. The physical therapists there provide assistance and exercises to increase strength, balance and coordination. A caregiver can learn which exercises a senior will be practicing later at home and be prepared to assist with continuing the routine after the senior leaves the facility.

Often copies of handouts or booklets are available to be used as reminders of techniques for the exercises, and there might be a recommended approximate number of repetitions, which can vary according to a person's condition from day to day .

Often after leaving the short term transitional facility and returning home the senior might have visiting nurses and physical therapists come to the house for a while also.

The nurses continue follow-up on the injury and the physical therapists design a home program for the senior recovering from an injury. The caregiver can make the physical therapy exercises part of the daily routine when assisting a senior. A logbook can be kept so that written notes of progress or of problems with certain exercises are available.

In San Luis Obispo there is a short term rehabilitation and recovery facility called San Luis Transitional Care, at 1575 Bishop St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, and the number is (805) 545-7575. For those who live elsewhere you can ask the doctor, nurses, and staff at the hospital for assistance.

If nursing or physical therapy visits at the home are going to be scheduled your local yellow pages or medical professionals can provide referrals. In San Luis Obispo you can also call Best Care Central Coast Home Health at (805) 782-8600.

The senior may receive physical therapy after going home by going out to appointments with a physical therapist instead of having one come to the house. Moving around outside, taking a drive, getting out of the house for awhile, and visiting with people at the physical therapist's can be a break from the routine if someone is at home much of the time. This can be combined with an outing for a scenic drive, a trip to the grocery store, or some other pleasant activity if it is not too tiring.