Physical Fitness for Special Populations
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Overview
Physical therapy positively influences an individual's overall
health, wellness, and fitness by providing services
that positively impact physical fitness. Improving an
individual's level of physical fitness can prevent, remediate, improve,
maintain, slow the decline of, or lower the risk of impairments,
functional limitations, and disabilities. Physical therapy services that
impact physical fitness include interventions that affect
cardiovascular/pulmonary endurance; muscle strength, power, endurance
and flexibility; relaxation; and body composition. The information
linked through the following pages is intended to improve your ability
to appropriately increase your provision of services that have a
positive impact on the physical fitness of your patients and clients at
all levels of acuity and in all settings.
APTA
Plan and Related APTA Position & Policies
APTA has a Board adopted plan along with numerous policies, positions,
and guidelines that can be useful when practicing the area of health,
wellness, and fitness.
PFSP
Pocket Guides and Related Materials
APTA, in collaboration with APTA Sections or individual member experts,
is developing Pocket Guides as handy resources for members when focusing
on physical fitness for a variety of patient populations with conditions
that impair their ability to safely and effectively participate in
exercise and physical activity programs. To date, Pocket Guides have
been completed addressing the populations of those post-stroke, older
adults at risk for falls, and individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Educational
Opportunities, Publications, and Other Resources
Numerous resources exist, both from APTA and from external sources that
provide valuable information and educational opportunities on topics
related to physical fitness and its influence on health and wellness.
APTA has also been formally involved in a number of national initiatives
concerning these issues.
Regulations
(State Law/Licensure/Medicare)
When providing services in any setting or to any patient or client
population consideration must be given to any potential regulatory
requirements. This includes not only state law but also payer regulation
such as Medicare.
Documentation
When providing physical therapy services to address physical fitness for
individuals or groups in either traditional or non-traditional settings,
it is important from a professional and liability perspective that you
document the services you provide. The level of detail in your
documentation should be based on the complexity of the patient or
client, the intricacy of the plan of care, and the frequency of change.
More complex patients or settings may necessitate significantly more
detail while some community settings for example and less complex
patients or clients may require shorter and less detailed notes.
However, all services provided as physical therapy to patients or
clients should address the five components of patient client management:
examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention.
Risk
Management
It is important to understand that not all of the risk exposure involved
in the provision of physical fitness-related services may be covered by
a physical therapy professional liability (a.k.a. malpractice) insurance
policy.
Practice
Examples
APTA publications have focused on some practice e examples that may
provide insight into the variety of settings and services that can be
considered in the area of health and wellness.
Grants/Awards/Funding
Sources
Provided is a beginning and growing list of opportunities to develop new
or highlight and expand current programs addressing physical fitness via
grants and awards.
[Last updated: 08/20/08 | Contact: practice-dept@apta.org]
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