Practice  Resources

• Christine M. McDonough, PT, PhD, Marcie Harris-Hayes, PT, DPT, MSCI, Morten Tange Kristensen, PT, PhD, Jan Arnholtz Overgaard, PT, MSc, Thomas B. Herring, DPT, Anne M. Kenny, MD, Kathleen Kline Mangione, PT, PhD, FAPTA

• Keith G. Avin, Timothy A. Hanke, Neva Kirk-Sanchez, Christine M. McDonough, Tiffany E. Shubert, Jason Hardage, Greg Hartley

• Michelle M. Lusardi , PT, DPT, PhD 1 ; Stacy Fritz , PT, PhD 2 ; Addie Middleton , PT, DPT, PhD 3; Leslie Allison , PT, PhD 4; Mariana Wingood , PT, DPT, GCS 5 ; Emma Phillips , PT, DPT, GCS 6; Michelle Criss , PT, GCS 7 ; Sangita Verma , PT, DPT, GCS 8 ; Jackie Osborne , PT, DPT, GCS 9 ; Kevin K. Chui , PT, DPT, PhD, GCS, OCS 10

• In alliance with the Academy's Mission and Vision, the physical therapy care of older adults encompasses the entirety of the aging person within their unique environment and throughout their aging process. We believe the Physical Therapist/Physical Therapist Assistant (PT/PTA) must advocate to reduce health disparities and health care inequities, improve access to health care services, and address the health, wellness, and preventative health care needs of people.
• To that end, APTA Geriatrics presents the following guiding principles for Best Practices in providing geriatric physical therapy.

• A first-of-its-kind study shows that physical therapy and occupational therapy provide functional benefits to most patients in postacute care settings, with evidence of significant rehabilitative value across 1.4 million Medicare cases.   This research used data that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services made available for the first time. The findings have implications for postacute care payment system reforms and can serve as a baseline for future studies.   Read more and download a summary and charts.

• Below are documents to help you implement an annual visit into your clinical practice. Additional background on annual visits can be found on the APTA website
• Instruction Manual for Annual Visits for Aging Adults
• Annual Visit for Aging Adult Intake Form
• Annual Visit for Aging Adult Form
• Annual Visit for Aging Adult Report Card
• Annual for Aging Adult Referral Form

• Preventing Hospital Readmissions: Research on the Value of Physical Therapy
• Reducing The Risk of Falling and Injuries from Falls: Research on the Value of Physical Therapy
• Early Mobilization Reduces the Risk of Adverse Events and Improves Function: Research on the Value of Physical Therapy

• Download Here

• The Journal of Physical Therapy Education, Issue 2, 2014, is a special issue on education to improve practice for older adults. We are very pleased to share this issue with the members of the APTA Geriatrics. Visit Here

• These recommendations are based on the best available scientific evidence and consensus from experts in their respective professions including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Geriatrics Society, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and from the National Institutes of Health- the National Institute on Aging. These recommendations provide the framework for prescribing specific exercises by listing the key elements of exercise prescription (frequency, intensity, duration, volume). Physical therapists should use these recommendations as a starting place to design optimal and safe exercise programs. Download Here

Designed to help you identify discrepancies between your current and desired levels of practice in any of the seven specialty areas. Once you've assessed your practice level, you can map out your plan for continuing education and professional development. If you're considering applying for specialist certification, use the Self-Assessment Tools to determine your readiness. Each self-assessment instrument includes suggestions for follow-up and development of an action plan. Help yourself with Self-Assessment Tools for Physical Therapists today!

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