How Can PT Help Me?

Answers to Frequently Asked Physical Therapy Questions

How Can Working with Thrive Physical Therapy Help Me?

The Thrive Physical Therapy team has one goal – we want to make exceptional physical therapy, based on the latest research, accessible for aging adults and people with neurologic conditions. We realized that patients don’t need the added worry or stress of managing frequent trips to a clinical practice or the busy gyms where many physical therapy sessions take place. Instead, we created an outpatient physical therapy solution that comes to you, wherever you are.

Not only does this make it convenient to keep up with your visits, but it also gives you the opportunity to move and grow in the places where you spend the most time. You don’t need a lot of specialized gym equipment to get the most from physical therapy.

During your sessions we will teach you how to utilize things and spaces that are already in your home (and we’ll bring some fun, portable equipment too!). We want to make it easy for you to keep up your exercises outside of sessions and continue to make progress and maintain results after physical therapy “graduation.” We believe that everyone deserves to continue doing all of the things they love at any age, and we help our physical therapy patients stay healthy and active in their minds and bodies.

What is Physical Therapy & How Can it Help Me?

The traditional definition is that physical therapy is a treatment discipline that helps people to achieve, renew, or maintain maximum body movement, stability, and function. This is true, but what’s most important is that physical therapy helps you to continue engaging with your family and community by staying active and healthy at any age.

We are specialists in working with people with neurologic conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and spinal cord injury. We also help seniors and other individuals as they recover from injury or surgery, and people who just want increase or maintain independence as they age. The physical therapy strategies we use are geared specifically toward promoting confidence and independence as well as maximizing neuroplasticity – that’s the brain’s ability to be repaired and reshaped throughout our lives. Each physical therapy program is focused on your individual needs and goals – not just based on one specific medical concern or diagnosis.

Instead, we consider your lifestyle, hobbies, and goals as we prepare you mentally and physically to keep being able to enjoy all of these aspects of your daily life through a customized physical therapy program.

Learn more About Physical Therapy

Who is a Good Candidate for Physical Therapy?

At Thrive Physical Therapy, our team members have advanced training and experience working with aging adults and individuals who have been diagnosed with neurologic conditions. Specifically, we are happy to provide in-home outpatient physical therapy services for patients with a range of needs including:

    • Recovering after a fall or accident
    • Recovering from a surgery
    • Struggling with balance or stability
    • Parkinson’s disease
    • Multiple sclerosis
    • Stroke recovery
    • Spinal cord injury
    • Brain injury
    • Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease
How Does In-Home Physical Therapy Work?

Your outpatient physical therapy sessions at home will work just like the physical therapy sessions you would have if you came to see us. But instead of you driving to a clinic, a skilled professional will bring the necessary (minimal) equipment to your home, where you feel safe and comfortable, to make the most of physical therapy sessions.

Preparation

During your initial session, your physical therapist will complete a thorough evaluation of your current functional mobility and areas for improvement. Then, we’ll discuss your goals and the results you want to achieve through your physical therapy sessions. Once we begin your physical therapy program, we will be up and moving for each of your hour long sessions. Make sure to wear comfortable clothing and supportive shoes, have water available, and take all medications as directed prior to our physical therapy appointment.

Consistency

Consistency is essential to power the results of physical therapy. That’s one of the main reasons we chose to offer in-home physical therapy. We know that it can be inconvenient to change your routine to accommodate physical therapy, but this is a short term commitment that offers lasting results and will truly improve your lifelong function and health.

Because consistency is so important, we do ask that you only cancel a session when it is absolutely necessary. If you do need to cancel or reschedule a session, we ask that you contact us at (585) 851-8259 by 2 PM the day before your visit or 2 PM on Friday for Monday sessions. This allows us the opportunity to offer that session to another patient. If prior notice is not received, you will be charged a $75 fee for the missed appointment

What does a physical therapy program look like?

We customize treatments to address your individual needs. That means your individual experience with us will vary, but in most cases, you can expect the following:

Initial Session – During an initial evaluation session, your physical therapist will meet with you to discuss your goals and plan out your treatment. We will complete a physical examination to assess how you move, including administering specialized tests to ensure a thorough understanding of your needs. We also want to ensure that your physical therapy program is rewarding and motivating, so we’ll talk about how to incorporate your personal interests into your program to keep things engaging and fun. By the end of the session, we like to introduce you to one or two exercises to give you an idea of what we can do together and start to empower you to get moving from this very first appointment.

Physical Therapy Program – After your initial session, we’ll see you regularly over the course of your physical therapy program. These visits will each last for about an hour. We see many of our patients two to three times each week for six to eight weeks, but this can vary greatly depending upon your needs. During your evaluation, your physical therapist will go over your specific program, so you’ll know exactly what to expect.

Follow-Ups – Once you “graduate” from physical therapy sessions with us, we may recommend scheduling regular check-ins to ensure you’re maintaining results, and offer continued support as part of your healthcare team. These follow-ups usually take place every six months. Additionally, those who wish to continue working with our physical therapists may want to consider joining our Thrive for Life exercise program.

Does Physical Therapy Last Forever?

Physical therapy is reimbursed by insurance companies, including Medicare, when the service being rendered is medically necessary. This means that the interventions being administered must require the unique skill and training of a licensed physical therapist due to the complex nature of the needed therapy procedures and/or the patient’s special medical complications that require the skills of a qualified therapist to perform a therapy service that would otherwise be considered non-skilled. Thrive Physical Therapy plans of care last several weeks to several months, and after this duration are usually no longer covered based on medical necessity. Although it is likely your skilled rehabilitative program will be temporary, we are committed to helping you maintain your motivation and well-being beyond your plan of care.

To help our clients continue their success beyond their physical therapy plan, we offer our Thrive for Life program. This ongoing fitness and health program is for people who have completed their physical therapy and want to continue working on the skills they learned. These one on one health and fitness coaching sessions may be similar to your physical therapy sessions, but we can also offer increased flexibility to improve your ability to engage in favorite activities and hobbies.

Our goal is to help you continue doing everything you love at any stage of life

Will My Insurance Cover Physical Therapy?

Thrive Physical Therapy is a participating provider with Medicare and Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield. We also happily work with other commercial insurers, including MVP and United Healthcare, on an out-of-network basis. Please note that you do not need a physician’s referral to get started. In New York State, physical therapists have direct access, which means they can perform an evaluation and physical therapy for 30 days or 10 visits without a referral from a physician. We do believe it is best practice to obtain a referral and communicate with your doctor’s office before getting started on your plan of care, which we will discuss during your intake phone call. Payment for co-pay or coinsurance fees is due upon invoice. We provide your invoice at the session following the first of the month or at your discharge visit.

A note about Medicare: We provide an invoice for your coinsurance amount after Medicare pays their portion of the fees, which typically takes three to four weeks.

We accept payment in cash or by major credit card, but checks (made out to Thrive Physical Therapy) are our preferred payment method.

In order for insurance to reimburse for physical therapy services, they must be considered medically necessary with progress being made toward functional goals in a reasonable time frame. For those wishing to continue working with our team after physical therapy discharge, we offer various wellness and fitness services, which are not covered by insurance

Ready to Thrive? Let’s Get Started Today!

Thrive Physical Therapy was founded on a simple idea – aging adults should have access to quality physical therapy and exercise services that minimize their stress and maximize the results that are possible with consistent, quality physical therapy programs guided by professionals. By bringing outpatient physical therapy services to your home, we make it easy for you to stay on top of your physical therapy program and achieve the goal we’re working toward together – living a thriving life today and in the future. When you’re ready, we’re here to help!

seniors smile while doing physical therapy

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