Physiotherapy – the definition meaning the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, and exercise rather than by medications or surgery. This method of treatment is used across the world to assist in all manners of ailments as part of the Allied Health services offered to all.
Allied Health professionals provide a broad range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct health services to improve the health and wellbeing of the consumers they support and build close relationships to the core list of SummitCare services which are available to our residents.
One such Physiotherapy service – Golden Age Physiotherapy, partners with Summitcare to help our residents improve mobility and quality of life.
We recently asked a few questions to Director Ron Jeffrey, to better understand just how their services benefit residents in our care.
What are the benefits you see when working with the aged care industry?
“People that are admitted into residential aged care facilities have often been turned away from rehabilitation facilities. As a result, residents tend to be very grateful to receive Allied Health services such as physiotherapy. As a clinician, this tends to lead to greater compliance with clinical treatments and therefore achieve better outcomes for the person.
“There is nothing more rewarding for a clinician than our clients achieving their goals. Unlike fields such as private practice and hospital-based work, we can really build and solidify a strong relationship with the residents we see daily. These strong relationships often extend to immediate family members who are always very encouraging when their parent/grandparent achieves milestones.”
How do you or your team feel working with SummitCare and their residents?
“From the ground up we have the support of all SummitCare staff. We feel warmly welcomed to the SummitCare team. Everything is focused on the person, from introducing daily clinical recommendations for the residents to implementing process changes to the physiotherapy and podiatry programs is made simpler because of continual collaboration with the SummitCare team. This creates a warm and transparent relationship that makes SummitCare a pleasure to work with.
“Each of our dedicated site physiotherapists have expressed a sentimental attachment to their residents. This is seen when the therapists continually go above their duty of care without hesitation. As a physiotherapist that has worked directly with SummitCare residents when covering leave, I have seen this close bond first hand when the residents express how lovely their dedicated physio is and eagerness for their return.”
What are the changes you see after working alongside and with our residents?
“Positive changes at a physical level is expected with ongoing physiotherapy care. From this, the emotional and social changes are a huge bonus. Examples of this include when residents have improved from being bedridden to now walking and able to happily attend and enjoy social events offered in each home.”
“We see positive changes and improvement in wellbeing occurring in our residents daily through the provision of these additional allied health services especially when coupled with the emotional support and clinical care of each of our residents, we can confirm the physical and mental health benefits truly shine through.”
Thanks to Golden Age Physiotherapy, we look forward to an ongoing partnership of positive health and re-enablement programs in each of our homes.
For more information on Golden Age Physiotherapy and their services, visit www.goldenage.com.au.
To discover what physiotherapy programs are being run in your local SummitCare residential aged care home, view our contact details here.
