Last week, we talked about how a lot of physical therapists are now offering their services to Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. This is in an effort to to increase awareness during Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month.
Many Physical Therapists are now extending that awareness year-round to support patients with various forms of dementia.
As a physical therapist, you have the ability to offer total care services that will benefit individuals with these types of brain-related illnesses tremendously. This week, we will continue to expound on this very important and prevalent topic.
How Physical Therapy Helps Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients
Currently, there is absolutely no method to prevent Alzheimer’s or dementias or to reverse the condition once it occurs. There are, however, methods to slow the progression.
Physical Therapists are providing ways to ensure that a sufferer remains healthy on a physical level. Physical therapy is one of those ways. The following outlines the ways in which PT helps Alzheimer’s patients and patients that are suffering from other forms of dementia:
How Physical Therapy Helps
- First, it helps the patient remain mobile for as long as possible.
- It aids in improving the health of the bones and of the muscles.
- It helps offset the risk associated with heart disease and other equally-devastating conditions.
- It helps by improving the proper level of nutrition.
- Physical therapy helps to improve the core strength of the body.
- PT aids in optimizing the patient’s coordination and balance.
- Physical therapy helps to reduce the chance that a patient falls or suffers from other types of injuries.
Quality of Life
As a physical therapist, your job is to improve the quality of life of the patients that you service. When you are a part of a total care network that specializes in quality over quantity, this is even more true. The goal of helping those with Alzheimer’s and/or dementia is to help them maintain the highest level of functionality for as long as possible.
You will need to work with the patient to create a specialized exercise regimen that will aid in increasing mobility, reducing falls, and enhancing balance and coordination.
While engaging in the exercises, the patient will be able to experience other types of benefits, too. These include lower blood pressure, better glucose readings, the accumulation of strength, lower risk of cardiovascular complications, and lower cholesterol levels.
One of the most productive ways to offer assistance to Alzheimer’s and/or dementia patients is to ensure that your physical therapy practice is part of a total care network.
There are many advantages to this type of network.
These networks aid in increasing cooperation levels between PTs and insurers – even medical doctors. Patients will require far fewer physiological treatments. The costs associated with treating patients is reduced and those patients live more productive lives. A total care network allows for independently-owned clinics, ensure a higher quality of care, and all therapists that are part of the network have higher credentials. To learn more, visit our blog today: https://coloradophysicaltherapynetwork.com/blog/
