Course Description:

Since our residents born in 1947 and after began to turn 65, our healthcare environments have begun to shift to more dynamic cultures, focusing on more person-centered care and higher quality of life for what the group, known as “the baby boomers” have come to expect. This group has changed the way we as healthcare providers approach their plan of care. This course shares evidence based practice concepts from over 10 years of research, as a foundation to person-centered applications in our therapeutic environments. From these premises, we can build our skilled therapeutic techniques and plan our short and long-term goals to accommodate the lifestyles of our residents.
This course offers current research based evidence to support the importance of movement and exercise as well as cognitive challenges and social engagements to increase the quality of lives for seniors, despite their chronological aging. In clinical practice, physical therapists often encounter seniors who are resistant to the recommended clinical techniques and possibly to physical therapy overall. It is important that the PT/PTA generalist be equipped with information and strategies useful in motivating their clients to focus on the outcomes, rather than the fears. Participants in this course are offered skilled therapeutic techniques to plan the short and long-term goals to accommodate the lifestyles of our older clients, which helps to prevent and minimize the effects of chronic disease. Additionally, therapists are offered strategies to increase their client’s physical and mental abilities in order to prevent deterioration over time. Course content includes a long list of studies of how exercise and therapy can benefit the body and health overall, to include research of how therapeutic exercise improves/enhances the hippocampus and allows more of the brain cells to survive and respond, such as with tasks of long-term memory and improved attention. Through the tools of this course, physical therapists will be able to incorporate challenges and techniques to help their older clients to understand that increased movement leads to better and higher quality lifestyles.