Are Assisted Living Residents getting the therapy they should? Some fall through the cracks because they don’t qualify for home health services and others may not have transportation. Our therapists in Des Moines travel into these assisted living communities to reach patients who do not have easy access to PT, OT and ST services.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to seeing someone in their assisted living home is experiencing exactly what functional challenges that patient faces every day. We get to train them in the environment they actually use. We train them on how to best manipulate their own stairs or bathroom; assess what obstacles they face when walking or maneuvering their wheelchair; see their home layout and which exercises can best be done in certain locations.

Another major advantage to assisted living therapy is the opportunity to interact directly with caregivers – family or facility staff. The improved carryover is immediately evident when patients and caregivers can do tasks exactly as they have been trained with the therapist. It is this carryover that makes the success of the community-based treatment worth the travel time. Ultimately, the patient’s best interest has been served.