Our Services
Geriatric Physiotherapy Bass Coast & South Gippsland
The process
The assessment
The assessment includes assessing pain, heart rate, blood pressure, hand grip strength, walking speed and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) which includes a balance, walking and strength component. Each person is also assessed for their falls risk. It is recommended that following 12 weeks of intervention of at least x2/week, a reassessment is completed. If you are able to get to the group classes, this is recommended. If not, our physiotherapist can visit you at home or in residential aged care.
The assessment will determine how well you are aging and what is required to improve your health and well-being. It can take between 45 and 60 minutes to complete.
A preassessment form will be emailed to you when you book your initial appointment.
The exercise groups
The group classes run for 60 minutes and change lives. Each class is run by Trish who is experienced in active aging for all levels. Every class will focus on strength, balance, fitness, mobility and brain function. Everyone will do the same exercises at the same time. They will do them at their level as assessed by the physiotherapist. A record is kept of the changes in dosage to ensure everyone is getting the most benefit from the program.
Class consists of:
- 5 minute warm up
- Strength component – usually includes sit to stands/squats, deadlifts and overhead press
- Fitness component – includes High Intensity Interval Training which is scaled to your level
- Balance and agility component
The reassessment
The same measures are repeated after 12 weeks to determine what improvements have been made and areas that need further focus.
Location:
- Individual assessments at home, residential aged care facility or in rooms
- Individual reviews at home, residential aged care facility or in rooms
- Individual interventions at home, residential aged care facility or in rooms
- Group exercise classes in gym
For older adults with disease and disability related to aging, such as:
- Functional decline (eg difficulty rising from a chair without using arms)
- Chronic disease (e.g.Type 2 diabetes)
- Pain and arthritis
- Fatigability and frailty
- Injury and falls
- Post hospitalisation or surgery
