What Should You Expect During a Rehab In The Home Initial Assessment?

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The initial assessment is approximately 60 minutes (follow-up appointments are 50 minutes).

 

Your Issue and Your Goals: Your physiotherapist will arrive at your home and spend a large portion of the initial time getting a good understanding of why you have engaged in physiotherapy and what you would like to get out of it. They will ask you many questions including questions about your current issue, your past medical history, any previous treatments you have had, as well as questions about your home and recreational life. They will work to get a good understanding of what your goals are, what sort of things your issue is holding you back from, and who is in your life to help you achieve this.

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Charting: In order to give you the best care possible your therapist will need to write the information down (chart) throughout the assessment (and subsequent treatments).  This allows our therapists to accurately remember assessment findings as well as interventions completed and exercises prescribed. It is a requirement of The College of Physiotherapists of British Columbia to chart as much information as possible while with our clients in order to keep the information as accurate as possible.

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Physical Assessment: Your physiotherapist will conduct a physical assessment which means they may ask you to do things like get up from a chair, walk, stand on one leg, move your legs, raise your arms up or demonstrate other activities from every day life. They will also use their own hands to move your body parts into special positions in order to check the integrity of your muscles, ligaments, tendon and nerves, as well as to check your strength, flexibility, and balance.

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Plan and Follow-up Appointments: At the end of your initial assessment your physiotherapist will then discuss what they feel physiotherapy can do to help you, and may give some advice or prescribe some exercises for you that first day. They will also discuss a plan with you for follow-up appointments and  overall ongoing treatment.

 

Nearly all initial assessments require follow-up appointments in order for your physiotherapist to give advice, do manual treatment (hands-on therapy), prescribe exercises if necessary and help monitor and adjust/advance your exercises and rehabilitation program.  As time and effort are often tight for clients, our physiotherapists aim to provide only those few exercises and key pieces of advice that can make the most differences for our clients.

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