In the field of Physical Therapy, there are always new and more efficient ways being created to rehabilitate an injury. Physical Therapists are always trying to make their patients recovery go by as fast as possible with also bringing them back to top shape. Their main goal is to restore these patient’s injuries to where they can perform well again. Physical Therapists use a variety of diverse ways to help someone recover from their injury.
As a future health professional it is vital to be aware of where one will fit into the multi-professional team within the health care system, what one has to offer as a health professional within the comprehensive care model of Primary Health Care and be reflective of the journey to your future career. Therefore, in the following essay, I will be focussing on a brief definition of comprehensive care and the role a physiotherapist plays in the model. I will also express the reflective thoughts and feelings of a practicing physiotherapist regarding these points as well as my personal reflections and experiences as a developing health professional.
Falls in nursing homes residents are associated with morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. The centers for Medicare and Medicaid indicate falls as the quality indicator. (Leland, Gozalo, Teno, Mor, 2012). Factors such as new environment, medication, cognition, and non-compliance contribute to falls. A significant number of falls occur from wheelchairs. (Willy, 2013). Newly admitted residents to long-term care facilities are confused with the change. The new environment and the new unfamiliar faces increase the level of anxiety. Pain may also contribute to falls. In order to take tailor made preventative measures, fall risk factors for each resident should be evaluated periodically. Tools scoring risk factors can be utilized.
If you have been got an accident or injury that leads problems with your range of motion and mobility, then you need to consult with a professional and experienced therapist. The therapist provides you the right exercise programs to help you to get back on your feet and strengthen the injured body part. The result of therapy highly depends on the way you do the exercise. It is therefore advised to use right, high quality and durable physical therapy equipment in order to do exercises in a right and safe manner.
The occupation of physical therapy has been around for centuries. Throughout time it has evolved greatly as a medical practice and an area of study. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2012, there were 204,200 physical therapists employed throughout the United States of America.
Long term care (LTC) settings provide a vast variety of services that range from convalescent care, respite stays and skilled rehabilitation services which includes: skilled nursing, physical, occupational or speech therapy. LTC includes a broad spectrum of services that are designed to meet the varying needs of geriatric individuals and other adults with functional restrictions. The services rendered in this setting are designed to support individual needs from assistance with activities of daily living, medication management, cognitive and behavioral health support and limitations secondary to acute to chronic medical conditions. The care bestowed not only assists individuals with maintaining or improving their physical functioning, it enhances their quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013, there were 16,100 nursing homes in the United States (U.S.); over 1.7 million adult persons required placement in one of those long term care settings (CDC, 2013). Medical care within these settings has evolved from the traditional physician model with the introduction of the nurse practitioner (NP). The NP views the client as a whole, and considers how the individual’s condition or symptoms impact their overall well-being (e.g.: medically, physically and mentally). With the growing geriatric population in the United States, one has to ponder does the role of the nurse practitioner improve outcomes for the elderly clients?
In the field of Physical therapy, physical therapist can become a major asset for health care by refining the quality of the health care organizations through prevention, care, and administration of treatment for certain injuries. They do this by providing care or services to help restore function in muscles, mobility of joints, manage pain, help patients with disabilities regain some lost function with chronic ailments return to productive lives, and overall improve human wellness by the use of a rehabilitation methods. “Research shows that physical therapists can provide a cost-effective alternative for many patients who currently undergo surgery, take costly prescription drugs, or use a variety of medical devices to treat neuromusculoskeletal
For example, the focus on task-specific training during transfers among frail elderly, medication review to assess for counteractions, and fall risk education among elderly with a history of falls. Nurses play a pivotal role in the prevention of falls in the elderly. Moreover, nurses working in a community setting can help to identify risk factors that may help reduce falls. A fall assessment should be implemented to ensure safety. A patient should be assessed for a history of falls. Studies show once an elderly person has fallen once they will fall again. An assessment of nutritional status is important. Well, balanced diet nutrition is fundamental and provides vitamin D and calcium to prevent bone thinning. Good nutrition also gives the energy to help aged patients with activities of daily living. The nurse should assess for personal hazards in the home like poor lighting, loose carpet, unsafe stairways, and bathtubs without non-slip mats or handles. An elderly person that has fallen in the past may start to decline activities of daily living in fear of falling again (Luxton & Riglin, 2010, p. 19). The nurses fall assessment is a strategy that is in place to assess fall risk of patients. Particular interventions have been investigated like prevention of falls, increasing bone strength, and reducing the impact from falls. It is determined that this is the greatest model for reducing falls and fractures (Luxton & Riglin, 2010, p.
Almost everyone in the world has at some point been injured. In a large number of these cases, individuals require physical therapy. Physical rehabilitation not only pushes the body, but it pushes the mind to intense extremes. It can be a very painful experience, but also a very necessary one. This is why Physical Therapists, and the therapy itself are essential to those wishing to be rehabilitated.
US Department of Labor, (2009). Guidelines for nursing homes: Ergonomics for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (OSHA 3182-3R 2009). Retrieved from website: https://www.osha.gov/ergonomics/guidelines/nursinghome/final_nh_guidelines.pdf
Imagine the inability to physically walk or do so pain free, or to sit, or do any type of daily routine without any sort of constant complications. Whether a person has been injured, born with a disability condition, or a disability occurred due to aging, there is a way to help treat many complications. Participating in a physical therapy rehabilitation program can help to heal an injury by proper, safe exercises to strengthen and prevent further injury or by teaching one to change their mechanics, which in turn will create a better way to manage daily routines safely and pro actively. Physical therapy can also help to prevent or decrease impairments such as the developmental affect of many genetic diseases, congenial disabilities or disabilities due to aging. Physical therapy is a rehabilitation program with the goal to assist in the recovery of surgeries and injuries, and to promote proper mechanics and motor functions; relieving pain and restoring and maintaining physical mobility, strength and a quality of life.
Injuries are a nagging issue that do not go away easily. They can make it feel as if nothing has helped heal the problem. Physical therapy might be overlooked, but it is a logical and effective method to treat an injury. This helps patients regain their strength and mobility and is effective by bringing people to a state that they are comfortable with their injury (Blaser 1). Physical therapy is revolutionizing the way injuries are treated, and it is helping injured and disabled people regain their hope.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) reports that each year in the United States, one in three people over the age of 65 falls at home. Falls are the most common cause of fractures and traumatic brain injuries as well as the leading cause of injury death in the elderly population. In a one-year study of 1529 home health patients, Lewis, Moutoux, Slaughter, and Bailey (2004) found that 57.6% of falls were caused by failure to use an assistive device properly and 11.3% were due to safety factors such as environmental hazards. Qualitative research has revealed that with regard to fall prevention, seniors prefer to have an active role; maintaining independence is a chief motivating factor; and fear of falling is a common barrier. Also of note are a perceived social stigma associated with use of assistive devices and a belief in some that falls are an unavoidable, normal part of aging (Vivrette, Rubenstein, Martin, Josephson, and Kramer, 2011; Faes et al., 2010; Horton, 2007).
To have a thorough knowledge about the interest of the residents of Kamehameha Nursing Home, participants were asked if they want to receive fall prevention information through different methods. The study found out that most of the participants were interested in communicating with their provider, nurses, physical therapists, and so forth (80%) and joining physical activities
Long-term care (LTC) covers a wide range of clinical and social services for those who need assistance due to functional limitations. These limitations usually result from complications associated with age related chronic conditions, from disabilities related to birth defects, brain damage, or mental retardation in children; or from major illnesses or injuries suffered by adults (Shi L. & Singh D.A., 2011). LTC encompasses a variety of services including traditional clinical services, social services and housing. Unlike acute care, long-term care is much more complicated and has objectives that are much harder to measure. Acute care mainly focuses on returning patients to their previous functional level and is primarily provided by specialty providers. However, LTC mainly focuses on preventing the physical and mental deterioration of an individual and promoting social adjustments to suit the different stages of decline. In addition the providers of LTC are more diverse than those in acute care and is offered in both formal and informal settings, which include: hospitals, physicians, home care, adult day care, nursing home care, assisted living and even informal caregivers such as friends and family members. Long-term care services have been dominated by community based services, which include informal care (86%, about 10 to 11 million) and formal institutional care delivered in nursing facilities (14%, 1.6 million) (McCall, 2001). Of more than the 10 million Americans estimated to require LTC services, 58% are elderly and 42% are under the age of 65 (Shi L. & Singh D.A., 2011). The users of LTC are either frail elderly or disabled and because of the specific care needs of this population, the care varies based on an indiv...