The option of in-home care for some people is more than just a convenience – it’s a necessity. For many, nursing facilities and rehabilitation centers are too costly, and having an alternative and affordable way to access necessary care can literally be a life changer.
AIM Physical Therapy’s home health program provides clients with just that – an affordable and accessible alternative to nursing homes and rehab centers that provides its patients with a variety of in-home therapies. “The areas that are usually focused on are general strengthening, functional training for activities of daily living, balance training, fall prevention, post-surgical, and home safety assessments,” says Jeremiah Shelton, physical therapist and an AIM Physical Therapy owner. Shelton goes on to explain that these treatments help aid in everything from recovery after hospital or nursing home stays, ensuring clients are able to perform the daily tasks necessary for living in the home, providing training that promotes the ability to stand without the risk of falling, and much more.
While affordability, accessibility and convenience are crucial, there are other benefits to in-home care that go beyond just these factors. In-home care can also provide a sense of comfort for patients that can even help aid in the success of their recovery. Physical therapy can be uncomfortable and challenging at times, so having the option to receive physical therapy sessions in an environment that is familiar and comfortable for patients can help make these sessions more relaxed and productive.
Shelton explains that another benefit to in-home care is that it allows the therapist to evaluate the home and ask questions like, “Is this a safe environment for the patient?” Home safety assessments include, “assessing the home environment to assure the client can safely be there and has all the needed equipment to be safe in the home,” explains Shelton. Being able to determine the safety of one’s environment moving forward can help reduce and even prevent the risk of flaring up old injuries or sustaining new ones.
AIM Physical Therapy’s home health program treats a range of clientele. “More than 85 percent of the people are over the age of 65,” says Shelton. Because the majority of AIM’s home health clientele are seniors receiving Medicare benefits, AIM’s home health clients who fall under this category receive an added perk – Medicare typically pays for 100 percent of the cost.
While AIM Physical Therapy’s home health program is beneficial to its clients for a multitude of reasons, one of the most important aspects of this service is AIM’s outstanding home care providers who offer their clients with experienced and individualized care. “All of our physical therapists and physical therapist assistants have been in home health for years. We’ve seen just about every scenario imaginable, and (we) know how to tackle any problems that come our way,” says Shelton, who has more than seven years of experience in the field himself.
It’s this kind of commitment to quality in-home care that sets AIM Physical Therapy’s home health program apart from other care providers, and keeps AIM going strong. By combining outstanding service from seasoned professionals in the field with personalized in-home care, Shelton and his team are able to give their clients the tools necessary for successful recovery and return to function. With therapists as experienced as AIM’s, they know the necessity of encouraging their patients to work hard, something Shelton explains is vital to client’s outcomes.
“We have a current patient who had a cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, many years ago. He has not walked in many years. [However], with his determination to become more functional, and with an experienced therapist, he has now taken a few steps,” says Shelton. “Think of how great an accomplishment it is for this client to go from basically being bed bound to walking a few steps. This family is so excited and motivated that they actually had parallel bars installed in their home to practice walking,” he explains. While this client’s case is more severe than most of AIM’s home health clientele, it is a great example of what can be achieved when you combine great therapists with motivated clients in an environment such as the home.
But, if in-home care isn’t necessarily what you’re looking for, AIM also provides the same outstanding service at its three Pierce County locations in DuPont, Puyallup and Tacoma. Providing everything from orthopedic, geriatric, pediatric, industrial rehabilitation and many other treatments, AIM’s experienced staff is qualified to treat a variety of injuries to help you get back on your feet – sometimes quite literally.
To find out more about AIM’s home health and other physical therapy services, or to view a full list of AIM’s staff and their credentials, visit AIM Physical Therapy.
All photos courtesy AIM Physical Therapy.
