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
Many older people in Undri live in a flat that belongs to their son or daughter, in a society where they know few neighbours. The adults leave early, the grandchildren go to school, and the day stretches ahead. Going out means a lift, a gate and a walk that nobody has time to share, so many parents simply stop. Their legs weaken, their balance worsens, and the risk of a fall rises.
Our elderly physiotherapy guide explains age-related changes in general. This page is about what we do in an Undri flat and how families can keep a parent active without adding risk.
A day that is mostly spent sitting
- Sitting for hours. A soft sofa and a television can mean six or more hours without standing up. Hips and thighs weaken quickly.
- Going out less. Without an escort, the trip down the lift and across the society garden becomes a project.
- Night-time trips. A dark passage between bedroom and bathroom, a slippery floor and a rushed step are a common set-up for a fall.
- Medicines. Some blood pressure tablets and sleeping pills cause dizziness. The doctor, not the physiotherapist, manages these, but we note when unsteadiness follows a change.
- Fear. After one fall, many people restrict themselves further, which weakens them more.
What an assessment covers
The physiotherapist asks about falls, near-misses, dizziness, pain, medicines and what the person used to do. Then they test strength in the legs and hips, how quickly the person rises from a chair, balance with feet together and on one leg, walking speed and turning, and the condition of the feet and footwear. We also look at the flat: lighting along the night route, the bathroom floor, the height of the bed and the toilet, and clutter in the passage.
The result is a plan of five or six exercises for the day, some seated, some standing at a counter, and a list of simple changes to the home. If there has been a stroke, stroke rehabilitation in Undri is the better guide. After an operation, such as a hip fracture repair, see post-surgery rehabilitation in Undri.
Keeping a parent moving from morning to night
- Get up from the chair at every advertisement break or every half hour and stand for a minute.
- Walk the corridor or a short loop inside the flat after breakfast and after lunch, with a stick if the physiotherapist has advised one.
- Put a night-light between bed and bathroom, and keep slippers with a grip beside the bed.
- Sit on the bed edge for a minute before standing, to avoid dizziness.
- Join the family for a short supervised walk in the society garden at the weekend, once the physiotherapist agrees.
Painful knees often sit behind reduced walking, and our knee pain physiotherapy in Undri page explains how we handle them.
What families can do
If you work and cannot be there, ask the physiotherapist to show a caregiver or neighbour the exercises, and keep a printed sheet on the fridge. Phone at fixed times, so that a missed call tells you something. Consider a medical alert option if your parent lives alone for long periods, and make sure someone in the society has a spare key.
When to call a doctor or go to hospital
Seek urgent medical help for a fall with a head injury, a hip or wrist that is very painful or cannot bear weight, sudden confusion, chest pain, fainting, breathlessness, or sudden weakness on one side. Do not exercise through any of these. Physiotherapy can restart when a doctor has advised it.
To book home visits for a parent, use the booking page or see home physiotherapy in Undri for how we cover the area.