Functional exercises and counselling help an out-of-shape elderly patient achieve her functional goals: a case study

Title

Functional exercises and counselling help an out-of-shape elderly patient achieve her functional goals: a case study

Author

1. Dr. Nikhil Khatri, Professor, Madras Medical College, India

Abstract

The process of ageing is usually coupled with comorbid conditions and unique requirements. Because of the growing number of elderly people in the society, a more individualised healthcare system is required. As a result of the contemporary lifestyle, in which every person is engaged with their own responsibilities, retired geriatrics sometimes felt lonely, sometimes griping about the situation and other times learning to accept it as inevitable. In addition to contributing to one's overall health and well-being, regular physical activity lowers one's chance of developing a number of different illnesses. A session of physiotherapy typically lasts between 25 and 35 minutes on average. A patient might be motivated to understand their specific age-related demands by a physiotherapist who has received adequate training. The current way of life necessitates the provision of geriatrics physiotherapy in the comfort of one's own home. This case study makes an effort, via the presentation of an example, to demonstrate how geriatric physiotherapy with counselling is assisting in the achievement of functional objectives in the home without the use of cultured equipment. A 87-year-old woman's family has recommended that she begin exercising under the supervision of a trained expert in order to regain her ADLs. Functional workouts, range-of-motion drills, and liberal resistance training were all part of her therapy regimen. These were followed by a brief (10 minute) counselling session at the conclusion of her treatment plan. Before and after the Intervention, data were analysed using the Barthel Index and the Berg Balance Scale. By the end of therapy, the patient had accomplished her objectives for ADL recovery, and she had also had improvements in her balance; after three follow-up sessions, she was still functioning at the same level as before. The consequences of this case study propose that a combination of functional training and professional counselling is optimal for achieving positive outcomes.

Keywords

Conclusion

Building a reliable rapport with the patient is crucial for successful treatment. It is especially crucial for the physical therapist to think about this when they have to visit the patient at least four times a week for thirty minute sessions. To ensure the success of the physiotherapy process, it is crucial to cultivate a positive bond with the patient. This is because the treatment relies on the patient's active participation in both the physical and mental aspects of the treatment. Within a year of her husband's death, this elderly patient's health began a steady decline that has continued to this day despite ongoing treatment. Therefore, there is a strong link between her health and her husband's death. The patient has more faith than ever before that physiotherapy will help her live a long, healthy, and happy life. The patient's functional training regimen resulted in a dramatic increase in their ADL and balance performance.

Author Contrubution

The author confirms sole responsibility for the following: study conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation.

Funding

The authors did not receive any specific grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of Interest

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Data Sharing Statement

Not applicable

Software And Tools Use

Not applicable

Acknowledgements

I thank the following individuals for their expertise and assistance in all aspects of our study and for their help in writing the manuscript. I am also grateful for the insightful comments given by anonymous peer reviewers. Everyone's generosity and expertise have improved this study in myriad ways and saved me from many errors.