Home and Community-based Therapists are Essential to Reduce Hospitalizations During the Pandemic
Did you know that physical and occupational therapy can reduce your risk of hospitalization? A recent article in the Journal of Physical Therapy reported that two of the greatest predictors of hospitalization and re-hospitalization are inadequate physical function and inability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) safely and independently (Falvey, Drafft, & Kornetti, 2020).
Therapy can help! Physical function means the ability to meet the requirements of daily tasks safely and with confidence. On their own, those activities might include walking, sitting, sleeping, stepping off a curb, and rolling over in bed. However, once you add the craziness of real life, the activities might include walking up icy stairs, sitting for hours in a home office, sleeping with back pain, stepping off a wet curb, or tripping over a sleeping cat!
These tasks can be even more difficult after a surgery or illness. Physical therapists can meet you at your home to make sure that your home environment is free of hazards, get you started in exercises, and have first-hand view of the occupations that are important to you.
Jason R Falvey, Cindy Krafft, Diana Kornetti, The Essential Role of Home- and Community-Based Physical Therapists During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Physical Therapy, Volume 100, Issue 7, July 2020, Pages 1058–1061, https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzaa069
