Why home can suit clients with memory changes
A clinic means a new place, a waiting room, travel and unfamiliar faces. For someone with memory changes, that can be tiring or unsettling before the session even starts. At home, the therapist works with the client's own chair, hallway, bathroom and front steps. Practice happens in the exact places the client moves through every day, which can make it easier to connect an exercise with a real task.
Home visits also let the therapist see the things a clinic cannot, such as where the client usually walks at night, which chair they prefer or how they manage the back step to the clothesline.
How visits can be set up
Keep the time and the face familiar
Routine helps. Many clients do better at the same time of day, often when they are most alert. Wherever possible, the same physio returns for each visit, so the client is meeting someone they have seen before rather than a new person each time. See why the same physio matters.
Build sessions around everyday tasks
Instead of a long list of exercises, sessions are usually built around things the client already does: standing up from their favourite chair, walking to the kitchen, turning around or managing a step. Short, simple instructions and practice in real settings can suit people who find new routines harder to remember.
Involve family or carers when the client agrees
A family member or regular carer can help the client feel settled, share what has changed recently and learn how to prompt simple practice between visits. Alera visits are available any day, including Saturdays, which can make it easier for a family member to be there. Our guide on keeping momentum between visits has more ideas.
Respect consent and how the client feels on the day
Consent still matters. The therapist explains what they are doing, checks the client is comfortable and adjusts or pauses if the client is tired, distressed or simply not in the mood. A calm session with rest breaks is often better than pushing through. If a client is hesitant about physio in general, when a client says no to physio may help.
What care managers can include in the referral
Our home physio referral checklist covers the basics. For clients with memory changes, it also helps to share:
- How the client communicates best, and anything that tends to upset or settle them
- The best time of day for a visit
- Who should be present, and who to contact about follow-ups (family, carer or the care manager at your registered provider)
- Any recent falls, near-misses, hospital stays or changes in walking
- Access details, such as keys, a lockbox or a gate code, and whether the client may not remember that a visit is booked
- What the client and family most want help with
If the client lives alone, home physio for clients living alone covers extra points worth thinking about.
Keeping everyone in the loop
There is no fixed reporting template for families, but therapists can update family members or the care manager on request, with the client's consent. Agreeing early on who should hear about changes, such as a new near-miss or a drop in confidence on the stairs, means important information does not depend on the client remembering it.
Support at Home, private clients and DVA
When physiotherapy or exercise physiology clinical supports are authorised under Support at Home, Alera Healthcare can deliver those sessions at home as an associated provider working with the registered organisation that holds the plan. Alera is not a registered Support at Home provider, and the client stays with their current provider and their care manager at that registered provider.
Private clients and families can enquire directly, and DVA clients are welcome to ask about eligibility on enquiry. Alera has provided mobile physiotherapy and exercise physiology across Sydney Metro since 2004. We do not offer occupational therapy or NDIS services.
Next step
Supporting a client or parent with memory changes and want to check fit first? Book a 15-minute call to talk it through, or use our referrals page when you are ready to refer.
Call 040 55 77 555 or email admin@alerahealthcare.com.au.
FAQ
Can someone with dementia or memory changes do physio at home?
Often, yes. Sessions are built around everyday tasks, can include rest breaks, and are held at a familiar time in the client's own home. The therapist adjusts to how the client is feeling on the day.
Should a family member be at home physio visits?
It can help, if the client would like that. A family member or carer can help the client feel settled, share recent changes and learn simple ways to support practice between visits.
What should a care manager share when referring a client with memory changes?
Share how the client communicates, the best time of day, who to contact about follow-ups, any recent falls or hospital stays, access details and what the client and family most want help with.
Will the client see the same physio each time?
Same physio wherever possible. A familiar face can make visits easier for clients with memory changes.
Who can enquire about in-home physio or EP with Alera?
Care managers at registered providers, private clients and families can all enquire. DVA clients can ask about eligibility on enquiry. We do not offer occupational therapy or NDIS services.