First Assessment
Free
45 minutes, at home
- Full clinical examination at the patient's home
- The likely cause explained in plain language
- A realistic recovery plan and what it will cost
- No obligation to book any further sessions
A good many older people in Deccan Gymkhana live in a home they have known for decades, close to a club, a college or a garden they have walked past for most of their lives. Their children may work in another part of Pune, in another city or abroad, and the person who holds the household together is often a spouse of similar age. This is where a physiotherapist who comes to the house can make a real difference.
Our elderly physiotherapy page covers common problems of ageing in general. This one concerns how we work with seniors and their families around the Gymkhana.
Living alone in a familiar flat
When children are away, one of the worries is simple: what happens if mother falls on the way to the bathroom? The physiotherapist goes through the home with that question in mind. Thresholds, a slippery bathroom floor, poor night lighting, loose rugs and a bed that is too high or too low are all looked at, and practical changes are suggested to the family. Grab bars, a firm shower chair and night lamps cost little compared with a broken hip.
- Strength and balance work in the room, such as sit-to-stand practice from the usual chair and stepping exercises while holding a counter.
- Walking aids. If a stick or walker is advised, the physiotherapist checks the height and teaches how to use it on your floor and stairs.
- Joint and back stiffness. Hands-on treatment and gentle movement ease the aches that make people stop moving.
- Breathing and endurance after an illness, when a few days in bed have left the legs weak.
Stairs, lifts and getting out
Many buildings here are older walk-ups, while newer ones have lifts of different sizes. For an older person, the stairs may decide whether they leave the flat at all. We watch them go up and down, suggest which hand goes on the rail, and tell the family when someone should be beside them. If a lift is present, we also check the gap, the door timing and whether a walker fits. Outings to a nearby garden, a temple or a relative's house are encouraged when the physiotherapist judges the walk safe.
Helping the family help
We teach relatives how to assist without taking over, how to guard a transfer and how to encourage the patient to do more themselves. If the older person has also had a stroke or an operation, the plan overlaps with stroke rehabilitation in Deccan Gymkhana or post-surgery rehabilitation in Deccan Gymkhana.
Changes that mean a doctor should see them first
Seek urgent care for a fall with a blow to the head, new confusion, sudden weakness on one side, chest pain, a very fast or irregular pulse, fainting, or a hip or leg that cannot bear weight after a fall. A new fever with cough or breathlessness also needs medical care. Let the physiotherapist know about new dizziness or medicine changes, since both affect exercise plans.
To begin, book a visit and see how home physiotherapy in Deccan Gymkhana works.