Benefits Of Physical Therapy In Nursing Home

Physical Therapy In Nursing Homes Adding physical therapy in a nursing home setting can help not only with the mental and physical health of the residents, but also with the number of fall-related injuries that can occur. The addition of physical therapy can help slow down the effects of aging in the body and give the resident a less painful recovery. Many people believe that decreasing the amount of pain in a resident’s life will improve their mental health in the way that they will be able to enjoy life's simple activities to the fullest. Improving a resident’s mood will help avoid a sense of anger and confusion. Anger can increase frustration; which might lead the patient to attempt to stand, which results in a fall from lack of strength.

Exercise can act as a very efficient way to help prevent age-related diseases. Bradley says that many recent studies focusing on the correlation between physical activity and mental health, clinical evidence have shown that exercise can have a positive effect on the outcome of treating mental illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and Parkinson’s disease (Bradley). Physical Therapy improves the patient's’ quality of life and lessens the pain of the disease itself. “Some authors state that the influence of exercise on brain functioning might be related to the human evolutionary process, since physical activity is associated with survival. It has been suggested that individuals who exercise might show a biological advantage over sedentary individuals”(Bradley). So considering that exercise is very much related to improving the mental health of the elderly, we should consider adding physical therapy into the everyday life schedule of residents in nursing homes, where they will have the one-on-one contact and encouragement they

Prom, when the joint is moved by an external force or therapist, is greatly recommended. PROM helps stiffening or weak muscles caused by non-use. When a resident’s muscles are not used on a regular basis, they become weak. As the person begins to exercise, the range of motion increases, improving the strength of the joint. Adding physical therapy would let the residents have the everyday activity they deserve to keep their health in the best possible condition.
With the elderly population growing from 45 million to 65 million in the next year according to Jennifer Ortman. “Between 2012 and 2050, the U.S. population is projected to grow from 314 million in 2012 to 400 million in 2050, an increase of 27 percent” (Ortman). Clearly, this many people will need to be kept healthy and happy. One way to ensure this is to make sure that every nursing home institutes physical therapy and movement. This will greatly improve the residents of the futures mental and physical health and keep them strong to prevent future