Video Visits for Physical, Occupational and/or Speech Therapy Offer Many Benefits
Get Treatment from the Safety of your Home
With video visits, your therapist can connect with you virtually, so you don’t have to be around other people. This is especially important during the current pandemic for people with risk factors such as cardiac or pulmonary conditions. You may safely get care in the comfort of your home, without the need to wear a mask.
It’s Convenient
You can access your physical, occupational or speech therapy sessions from your home, work or any other location within the state of California. There is no need to drive to our office! This can reduce stress from driving to and from appointments. Video visits work well for parents with children at home, caregivers concerned about the physical demands of transporting their loved one to and from appointments, and those who don’t have easy access to transportation.
Saves Time
Video visits save you time traveling to and from your session. After your appointment is completed you can quickly get back to what you were doing at home or work without having to spend time on the road.
Individualized Care
During your video visit, you will work one-on-one with your therapist addressing your specific goals. You may involve family members or caregivers in your appointment to assist with exercises or to learn ways to support your rehabilitation process. Currently social distancing and visitor protocols limit multiple people from attending in person sessions.
Patient Satisfaction
Your therapist can provide you with a safe and effective home exercise program based on your specific needs and goals with video visits. The majority of patients who have participated in video visits are satisfied with their experience and would do it again. Many report being surprised at how helpful virtual rehabilitation was for them. Patients expressed feeling connected and supported by their therapist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to participate in a video visit therapy session?
There is no training required for you to take part in video visits. You will need a referral for therapy from your physician, an email address and access to a smart phone or tablet that has a video camera and microphone. Our office will provide you with instructions to set you up for a successful video visit. Learn more about video visits.
Who can participate and benefit from video visits?
People of all ages and who have a variety of symptoms and medical conditions may be candidates for a video visit therapy session. Make sure you explore video visits as an option for your therapy for your health and safety.
Pediatric Therapy: Many children are accustomed to communicating with family and teachers remotely and are accepting of video visits where they and their therapist are mask free. Via video visits, therapists can instruct families in therapeutic play using favorite toys and household items the family already owns. Parents can receive suggestions on how to make changes to the home environment that support goals whether these relate to mobility, sensory processing or fine motor skills.
Speech Therapy: Visualization of the face and mouth is often an important component of speech therapy for swallowing, speech-language and voice conditions. With video visits, the therapist can see your mouth and face which would be covered by masks during an in person visits. Also, masks muffle voices which can be more challenging for people who are hard of hearing.
Feeding Therapy: Video visits allow the therapist to see positioning of infants and children when eating. During video visits the therapist can provide instructions to modify the home eating environment and facilitate healthy eating habits. Preferred food and formula are available and the therapists can provide visual cues which are very limited by wearing masks during in person visits.
Ergonomic Assessments: Are you currently working from home and experiencing discomfort which may be related to your home work station? Your therapist can address your symptoms of discomfort, provide you with proper stretching activities and assess your home work station making ergonomic recommendations to improve posture and positioning.
Orthopedic and Hand Therapy: Via a video visit your therapist can easily instruct exercises for improving motion and strength and provide feedback on your exercise performance. They can provide instruction in modifying activities to lessen pain and how to perform tasks more efficiently in your home environment. They are able to guide proper selection and use of splints, braces, and taping methods.
Neuro Therapy: Video visits allow for family members and caregivers to participate in the session and be coached on how to support the home exercise program. Activities of daily living such as meal preparation and dressing can be assessed with the therapist making applicable recommendations for modifications to promote independence. By seeing the patients’ home environment the therapist can help identify the best location to perform stretching and balance exercises.