Physiotherapy and Older People

There is reliable evidence for physiotherapy involvement for older people, especially those with falls, stroke, arthritis and frailty.

• There is strong evidence on the effectiveness of primary care/community-based falls prevention interventions for older people, eg. Otago Exercise Programme, with physiotherapy supervision. International evidence exists showing the benefit of exercise interventions for older people with frailty, which are primarily physiotherapy-led, or supervised.
• Physiotherapy is a core component of the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), known to improve outcomes for older people, particularly those with frailty. A CGA approach is part of successful orthogeriatric care, and in the new area of perioperative surgical care for older people.
• Along with specialist elderly care wards, physiotherapists are core members of CareYogis, providing therapy for patients on acute stroke units, stroke rehabilitation units and community stroke teams. Multidisciplinary stroke care offered byCareYogis team of Physiotherapists has been seen to be very effective at improving outcome.
• The Fundamental Principles of Physiotherapy for Older People Disability is generally regarded as being due to a pathological process, or injury, not prima facie 'old age'
• The effects of biological ageing reduce the efficiency of the body's systems, but throughout life, optimum function is maintained in each individual by continuing to use these systems to their maximum capacity
• CareYogi physiotherapists have a key role in enabling older people to use a number of the body's systems fully to enhance mobility and independence
• When neither improvement nor even maintenance of functional mobility is a reasonable goal, CareYogi physiotherapists can contribute to helping older people to remain comfortable and pain-free
• Prevention of the development of problems in later life through health promotion.