The primary objectives of physical therapy are to promote the patient's abilities to function safely and independently in their home environment. Applegate HomeCare uses an interdisciplinary approach, with emphasis on the needs of the patient, their caregivers and family.

Physical therapy can:

• Improve walking, mobility and endurance levels
• Enhance balance and coordination
• Improve strength and range of motion
• Stimulate wound healing
• Provide bed mobility training
• Provide stair training
• Provide techniques to adapt to the challenges of temporary or permanent disability
• Provide home assessment, patient and family education concerning the care provided in the home

Applegate HomeCare provides occupational therapy services to improve quality of life if illness, injury or dehabilitation has caused a loss of independence.

The occupational therapist will assess and treat with consideration to personal goals and adjustments in the living environment such as:

• Increase strength, joint mobility and coordination of muscle skills
• Enhance daily living skills including meal preparation, bathing and housekeeping
• Educate and provide adaptive equipment to compensate for decreased skills
• Custom design splints and orthotic devices to prevent deformities and decrease pain
• Provide cognitive retraining or each compensatory strategies to improve cognitive functioning
• Assess the home environment for assistive devices to improve safety and function

In order to maximize function after stroke, surgery or trauma, Applegate HomeCare provides speech therapy to:

• Retrain speech or swallowing
• Retrain problem solving or memory deficits
• Teach the understanding of oral or written language
• Teach skills to assist the patient in adjusting to hearing loss

All Speech Therapy services are given by a registered speech language pathologist.