Elderly Rehabilitation: Physio Therapy, Speech Therapy

As we age our dear body goes through many changes. These changes are inevitable and include reduced bone density, reduced muscle strength, obesity, poor coordination, and stiff joints. These negative effects of aging can give rise to issues such as restricted mobility and imbalance making elder people more prone to falls. Elderly people often feel that they are not as quick and steady on their feet as they used to be and find climbing stairs very difficult. Moreover, they are unable to go outside and socialize. Unfortunately, sometimes our senior loved ones may suffer a stroke that may lead to paralysis or speech impairment. In those difficult situations, we need the help of senior rehab assistance services to make our beloved seniors feel relaxed and comfortable.

Elder Care Services in Kolkata offer rehab assistance services that you can avail yourself of for your senior loved ones according to their needs to make them feel better. Today, let us have a close look at how Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy can make our beloved seniors lead a better life.

Physio Therapy:-
Physiotherapy helps senior people to overcome mobility, balance, and other issues. Though it cannot stop aging, it can help reduce the impact of aging on our bodies and lives. Physiotherapists are trained to identify physical and other factors that prevent senior people from being active and they work on those factors through physiotherapy sessions to make the senior people more active and fit.  Physiotherapy services have been shown to improve many of the factors associated with aging including strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, and healing pains. In this blog, I will discuss how physiotherapy at home can help our dear seniors overcome their mobility and other health-related issues.  Elder care services in Kolkata provide physiotherapy services at home for the convenience of our beloved elders.

We often hear our aging parents or other senior family members complaining about the neck, back, and joint pain which is mainly caused due to tight or weak muscles, poor blood circulation, and inactivity. Physiotherapy can increase blood flow, flexibility, and core strength 

→  It helps in improving mobility in senior people. The strengthening exercises help in restoring the ability to move. Physiotherapy also helps patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, peripheral neuropathy, etc.

→  Physiotherapists can advise on which exercises are safe for our beloved seniors so that they can practice those under the able guidance of the physiotherapists to remain fit and active. Various researches have shown that Physiotherapy is very effective in healing and preventing joint problems, balance disorders, risk of falls, hypertension, and obesity in senior people.

→  Slips and falls are harmful at any age, but they are dangerous and sometimes fatal for older people. Physiotherapy helps senior people to build the strength and stability needed to live an independent life without the fear of falling or slipping.

→  Physiotherapy is safe and is an excellent non-invasive option that promotes building strength and flexibility among elders and also assists in healing and preventing injuries thus reducing the chance of surgery which is considered risky for elderly people.

→  It helps senior people to recover from a stroke.  It’s common to lose some degree of function and movement after a stroke. Physiotherapy helps strengthen weakened body parts and improve balance. A physiotherapist helps in improving the patient’s ability to move around in bed and in performing daily activities like going to the washroom, eating, dressing, etc. Physiotherapy also heals pulmonary problems and helps patients clear fluid in the lungs.

Speech Therapy:-
→  Speech Therapy for our senior loved ones is necessary if they have suffered a stroke and are recovering from the debilitating consequences of a stroke or dementia.

→  It may be also required after a major head injury. The ability to communicate well is necessary for senior people to avoid emergencies. If our loved ones cannot communicate properly what they need or how they feel we will be unable to keep them healthy and happy.  

→  As one grows older, vocal cords can become less elastic and larynx muscles can weaken, making it difficult to talk in a manner they are accustomed to. Speech Therapy can help our loved ones re-learn how to speak.

→  It is also important after suffering a stroke. The language impairment followed by a stroke is known as aphasia, which is a communication disorder impairing a person’s ability to use and comprehend language.  Recovering speech is possible if the treatment is started immediately.

A  Speech-language pathologist specializes in treating speech, language, voice, and swallowing problems of our senior loved ones. The treatment may include:-

•   Art therapy
•   Melodic intonation therapy (singing words they cannot speak)
•   Group therapy and support groups

Speech Therapy for seniors mainly aims to increase functional communications, and cognitive skills and teach safe swallowing methods through special feeding techniques and die modifications.

This blog throws light on how  Rehab  Assistance Services like Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy can help our senior loved ones heal themselves and lead an improved life after suffering a stroke or a  major injury.