Areas of Focus
Balance and Falls
Fall reduction is a major area of concern for an aging population and for your family members. At FirstStep Rehab we look at treating balance and reducing fall risk by modifying behaviors, improving strength and developing strategies to compensate for age-related changes. Routine reassessment, per request, via use of standardized balance assessment scales will allow members of FirstStep Rehab to actively identify clients at risk of falls, and allow us to react in a proactive manner rather than the reactive model health care has built a legacy upon. Once indicators point towards increased risk, members of our staff will coordinate orders for your service with your physician.
Therapeutic Exercise
A cornerstone of our practice is grounded in scientific research by APTA and the AMA. As highly trained clinicians, we use our knowledge to prescribe the optimal level of exercise in its intensity and complexity on an individual basis. While results vary, our goal is to maximize functional outcomes. A commonly cited statistic on age versus muscle loss is “there’s a 10% decline in strength per decade after age 30. People in their 80s and 90s will lose 50-60% of their strength without intervention.” This has a multi-fold impact on independence safety and remaining in an independent community based setting.
Cognitive Impairment
A treatment plan must be inclusive. As healthcare providers, we must treat patients holistically. Part of this is acknowledging some age related changes in cognitive processing, not to mention those caused by a variety of pathological processes. We have more than twenty five years of experience incorporating objective, evidence-based scale techniques to intervene in skillful and effective manner.
Seating and Positioning
Often times when mobility has declined to point that a manual or powered mobility aide is required you need a representative that is well versed in this area and is up to date with insurance regulations and equipment options. As your partner in assessing the next best mobility aide for your loved one you need a resource that well connected with partners that can remove the burden and bureaucracy often associated with having insurance cover the cost of these items. After twenty years of experience our therapist has several options to address the multitude of scenarios you may have to contend with. An appropriate mobility aide and seating system is essential and can impact all areas of life and well being namely socialization, increased sense of independence both with caregiver and client. It may reduce occurrence of falls and injury, promotion of skin and pulmonary health and promote proper digestive functions.
Documentation
At FirstStep Rehab we closely adhere to all Federal, practice and insurance guidelines to document skilled intervention, outcomes and to ensure that mutually agreed upon goals being addressed.
Differential Diagnosis
Our staff are more than well equipped to address a myriad of diagnosis'. This is done by critically assessing a client throughout all phases of ones plan of care. Because we often deal with patients that have complex and sometimes fragile medical conditions our clinicians must be able to determine clients need for additional supportive or medically intensive services. After twenty years in healthcare we have extensive relationships with a variety of healthcare providers.