Is it possible to get private physiotherapy to encourage mobility in elderly person written off by NHS?

[mears]

Would it be too time consuming and expensive do you think? Anyone got experience?

90 year old Dad with Alzheimers is at hoome with carers coming in 4 times a day to hoist him in and out of bed. He could walk short distances prior to being hospitalised over Christmas and New Year with norovirus. Assessed as not being suitable for rehabilitation but I am not so sure.

I'm 99.99% sure it's possible.

We had an eldery man (not as old are your Dad - but still well past retirement) come into the care home which I worked at.

When he arrived he was almost completely immobile and required 2 people to move/wash/dress him etc. He had a personal trainer and I'm almost certain a private physiotherapist come in to him on a regular basis and by the time I left (only about 6 months later or so) he was getting himself up and dressed on his own!

I'd give it a try - you are right that it's all too common for the elderly to be written off.

Dp is a qualified physio as well as osteopath and he sees plenty of private patients. I'm sure there must be some in your area.

I have e-mailed a private physio nearby but I am just not sure if Dad would be the kind of clientelle they would want to take on. Waiting for a reply.

Someone will definitely want to take this on. what could be more satisfying for a physio than this sort of work?

if you don't have luck with a private physio try a local private rehabilitation unit and see if one of them will do domestic appointments.

Your Dad can see a private physio. You could ask your GP for a recommendation or anyone else you know. Physios will normally ask for a GP referral though before they will see a patient. There is no harm in asking a physio to undertake an assessment to see whether, in their opinion, he would benefit. However, they may feel that because of his Alzheimer's he may not benefit very much and that his deterioration is part of his illness which does not just lead to memory failure but also physical frailty. Sometimes patients don't benefit very much because they are not able to make the changes that they physio suggests. In any case there would be no harm in getting an opinion or trying a short course so that at the very least you will know either way. Hope this is helpful, my background is not in physio but in rehab nursing in the community btw.

Your problem might be the lack of private provision in Scotland generally. You could try contacting the private hospitals in Glasgow and seeing what they advise.

I know my dad has struggled to get enven private support for my mum (only 67) following her head injury as she falls outwith the "standard" care as she is over 65 and the COPS team (Community Old People' Service) have discharged her as she is "OK" by thier standards . That might be hwat has happened in your dad's case: "he is 90, waht do you expect" as opposed to looking at what he 8was* capable of.

Even though we are prepared to pay (going against all my dad's long held principles and years of working exlusively for the NHS himself) there just aren't the private practitioners around.

You're looking fro somewhthing more straightforward (ie without the complication of the head injury) so you might be more fortunate.

If he is willing and wants to work with a physio, then I am sure if you can find one, it would be helpful.