In-Home Physical Therapy

In-Home Physical Therapy: an individual home care plan

Movement problems rarely stay in one room. A difficult chair rise can affect meals, bathroom trips and getting to the door. HarvardCare's home physical therapy begins with those connected tasks and a licensed therapist's assessment of what makes them difficult.

Movement assessment

The starting point is a functional question, not an exercise list. Someone who needs help getting out of bed presents a different problem from someone who walks through the house but cannot manage a doorway step. A PT evaluation examines the relevant movements, the medical restrictions and the equipment or assistance already in use. The patient's own priorities help determine which tasks deserve attention first.

Household task practice

A home visit also makes the environment part of the assessment. A therapist can see whether a walker fits beside the bed, how a person approaches the bathroom and which chair is used for most of the day. Practice may involve components of a task, an appropriate exercise or the task itself. The selected activity and support level should be clear enough for the patient and caregiver to understand what has been assigned.

Individual exercise planning

Coordinated recovery depends on sharing information. If nursing, OT or another discipline is also ordered, changes in precautions or clinical status need to reach everyone whose instructions they affect. PT does not replace those services. Its role is to assess movement, teach an appropriate plan and review that plan as the person's needs change.

Related care for in-home physical therapy

Mobility Training at Home. Strengthening Training at Home.

Eligibility and insurance review

Original Medicare Part A & B may cover eligible home health care when the applicable homebound, skilled-care, clinician-order and certification requirements are met and services follow an individual plan through a Medicare-certified agency. Coverage and any patient responsibility require verification. Blue Shield of California PPO and Anthem Blue Cross PPO benefits are also reviewed individually. Equipment, medications and separately billed services require their own benefit review.

To discuss in-home physical therapy in Los Angeles County, contact HarvardCare Home Health with the current clinical instructions and the tasks that need support. Referring clinicians can use the patient referral page. Assessment, service availability and individual eligibility determine the next steps.