Why is virtual PT an effective senior care solution?

You might be a family member or friend who cares for someone older, or you might be a senior who is trying to maintain as much independence as possible. Either way, virtual physical therapy can be the senior care solution that you’re looking for.

What is virtual physical therapy?

A virtual physical therapy session involves a person working with a physical therapist over a secure online video platform. Compared to many in-person health care services, virtual physical therapy, or virtual PT, is fairly new. But it has taken some major strides over the past few years. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major force driving the rise of virtual health care services. One American Medical Association (AMA) report found that the use of virtual services jumped from 11% in 2019 to 46% in 2020.

What makes virtual PT a potentially effective senior care solution?

There are many reasons why virtual PT can be an effective senior care solution. These reasons include:

1. It can help keep seniors at home — Going out can be a major chore for some seniors. Virtual PT makes one less thing that elderly people have to leave home for. Instead, they can get their chronic musculoskeletal issues addressed virtually. In fact, the AMA estimates that 24% of all health care office visits could be replaced by a virtual one.

2. It can reduce their exposure to illnesses — Older people are often more susceptible to illnesses like COVID-19. However, they may require home health attendant services, and this could increase their risk of getting an illness. Using virtual PT, seniors can still interact with a physical therapist without allowing a potential illness carrier into their homes.

3. It can help them in many ways — Seniors can use virtual PT to treat and manage a wide range of conditions. This includes osteoarthritis in the joints of the hips, knees and fingers. Virtual PT can also help seniors maintain and improve general flexibility, mobility and strength. Even better, it can be used to help improve their balance and decrease their risk of falling and injuring themselves.

Turn to Agile Virtual PT for a host of senior care solutions

Looking for physical therapy solutions that can make senior care easier? Our Agile Virtual PT team is ready and willing to help you find the solutions you’re looking for. We excel at building beneficial virtual PT programs to fit each individual’s needs. Even better, you can use our free virtual screening to start getting our help with osteoarthritis pain and other issues.

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help seniors or to schedule an initial appointment with us.