A few years ago, I realized that my dad needed to move into a care facility instead of living with us. He was always depressed and he needed to be around more people his own age. It was a really difficult decision, but after we moved him into a care facility, he really blossomed. It was great to see him happy, healthy, and enjoying things on his own. This blog is here to help other people to enjoy their own lives and to care for loved ones who need special assistance. I know that with the help of assisted living, everyone can enjoy a better life.
Improving Your Loved One's Nursing Home Experience
How to Get Better on a Faster Time Frame When Going Through Physical Therapy
Nora Jones
If you find yourself in short term rehab or physical therapy, there's a good chance that you want to be done with it and well as soon as possible. This can be frustrating because you can't really force your body to get better faster. This could keep you from being able to play the sports you love or just get around easily. There are a few things that you can do to slightly speed up the process, however.
1. Do the Exercises on Your Own
The first thing that you need to commit to is completing the exercises on your own. Take notes when your physical therapist or rehab worker is talking about the exercises you should be doing. Write down the name of the exercise, a short explanation of it, how many times per repetition you are supposed to do it, and how many repetitions you should complete each day. Bring the notebook back to each physical therapy session and update it. As you get stronger, your physical therapist or rehab worker might want you to do more repetitions or variations that are harder but will make your muscles stronger. Not doing the exercises on your own will mean that you are doing less strength training and will therefore get stronger more slowly and heal less quickly.
2. Appeal Insurance Claims
Another way that you can make physical therapy work more effectively is to appeal any insurance claims that get denied if you haven't completed your full cycle of physical therapy sessions. It is good if you are doing the exercises on your own, but the input of the therapist is going to be very important in correcting your form and making the exercises more difficult at appropriate times. If your insurance company cuts off your short term rehab stay or your physical therapy before the doctors say it should be cut off, then make sure that you appeal it to try to get extra time. Consider paying out of pocket for a session or two more if you can afford it.
3. Eat Protein Before Your Session
Finally, try to eat protein before your session. Your body cannot get stronger if it is using all of its energy to keep you moving and breathing, sparing none for building muscle. Having a protein shake or a protein-rich snack before your session is a good idea.
For more information, talk to a center like Valley View Retirement Community that specializes in short term rehab and physical therapy
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