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
In many Warje households the grown-up children leave early for offices along the highway, and a parent stays behind in the flat. The day passes with a newspaper, the television, a few trips to the kitchen and perhaps a walk to the corridor. It is a quiet arrangement, and it hides how much strength and balance can fade when there is no reason to move.
The guide to elderly physiotherapy explains ageing and movement in general. This page is about how we work with older people in Warje homes.
The day alone: what to look for
Families often notice small changes first: a hand on the wall, a longer pause before standing, holding the rail with both hands, eating in bed because the dining chair is too hard to leave. These are worth a physiotherapy assessment before a fall happens. A physiotherapist tests how fast the person walks, whether they can stand from a chair without using their hands, how they balance on one leg, and what they do when the floor is slippery.
- Strength. Weak thighs and hips make rising from low seats difficult.
- Balance. Dizziness, poor vision, new medicines and nerve damage from diabetes can all contribute.
- Joint pain. Stiff knees and hips cause shorter steps and a shuffling gait.
- Fear of falling. A previous fall can lead to staying in the chair, which makes the next one more likely.
Making a Warje flat safer
Modern flats have hazards that older houses do not: polished tiles, glass shower screens, thresholds between rooms and lifts with a gap at the floor. The physiotherapist walks through the flat with you and suggests inexpensive changes, such as non-slip mats, a stool in the bathroom, brighter bulbs, a grab rail near the toilet, and clearing the path between the bed and the bathroom. In older houses with steps at the door, the focus shifts to rails, handholds and the height of the steps.
What treatment looks like
A programme is built around what the person can do and what they want to keep doing, such as cooking, going to the temple or visiting a grandchild. It typically includes leg strengthening with a chair, balance practice near a counter, walking drills, joint mobility work and relief for painful areas. If knee or back pain is the main obstacle, see our pages on knee pain physiotherapy in Warje and back pain physiotherapy in Warje.
The physiotherapist also speaks to the family, by phone or in person, about what is realistic. Exercises are kept to a few that can be done safely without supervision, and a carer is shown how to stand by without taking over.
Staying active between visits
- Stand up from a firm chair five times, twice a day, without using the hands if possible.
- Walk to the door and back several times, increasing slowly.
- Keep shoes or non-slip footwear on indoors, not socks on tiles.
- Drink water through the day, since dehydration can cause dizziness.
- Have eyesight and medicines reviewed by the doctor regularly.
When to get medical help
Take the person to a hospital after any fall with a blow to the head, severe pain in the hip or wrist, or inability to bear weight. The same applies to sudden confusion, new weakness on one side, fainting, or chest pain. Increased falls, dizziness or unsteadiness without an obvious cause should also be reported to the family doctor, since medicines and heart rhythm can be involved.
To ask for a home visit, use the booking page. The page on home physiotherapy in Warje lists the neighbourhoods we serve.