Depending on severity and type of incontinence, we can educate on toileting schedules and exercises to strengthen pelvic floor. These are all important topics to address during a patient’s plan of care and should not be overlooked.įor medication concerns, we strike up conversations with our patients’ physicians. By now, we all know to look for risk factors for falls, including if our patients have experienced a fall in the past year, have a fear falling, are currently taking psychoactive medications, polypharmacy, use an assistive device, require assistance for activities of daily living, are dealing with incontinence, have impaired vision, or have environmental hazards such as throw rugs and dim lighting.
Good news: We as therapists can prescribe our patients specific exercises at moderate to high intensities to reduce their risk of falling by 25 percent or more. If you could prescribe a medicine that would reduce your patients’ risk of falling by more than 25 percent, would you? Laura Thompson, PT DPT, GCS Physical Therapist
