On the Banner Home Care team, there are many skilled therapists:

• Physical Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech Therapists

Learn more about their roles:

Physicial Therapy
Physical Therapy is key in home care to ensuring a patient is as safe and independent as possible in the home from a mobility standpoint. On the first visit, the therapist performs a full evaluation of the patient and the home environment. Base on the evaluation, the therapist and patient determine the best course of therapy.

Therapists visit patients anywhere from one to six days a week depending on the patient’s specific needs. Both education and exercise are key components of physical therapy.

Physical therapists intervene on a variety of levels including:

• Fall prevention
• Gait (walking) Training
• Home Safety Assessments
• Recovering from a joint replacement
• Strengthening
• Endurance training

Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy focuses on task-specific activities. In the home environment, this often includes strategies and exercises to improve bathing, dressing, meal preparation and fine motor tasks. The tasks on which occupational therapists primarily intervene are collectively called Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Occupational therapists are experts in equipment needs! They assist patients and families in determining what medical equipment can be installed in the home or used by the patient to make the environment safe and task manageable by the patient with the greatest level of independence.

Indications for Occupational Therapy Includes:

• Poor Upper extremity strength
• Frequent shortness of breath
• Loss of ability to perform self-care activities
• Inability to enter/ exit shower
• Need for home safety equipment

Speech Therapy
Speech Therapists do so much more than help people speak!  They are an integral part of patient care as they address communication problems, memory problems, cognitive deficits, and eating/swallowing issues. Speech therapists help those affected by memory loss, stroke, brain injury and throat surgeries. Speech therapists use a variety of techniques to educate patients in methods and exercises to help improve cognition and communication. 

Speech Therapists can assist those who:

• Can not remember to take medications correctly
• Have impaired judgment in regards to safety
• Have difficulty using the telephone to set up appointments
• Have difficulty following directions
• Have difficulty chewing or swallowing food
• Are disoriented or confused
• Need training on tube feeding
• Can not communicate in a manner others can easily comprehend