Your own home can be a great place for gaining strength and mobility lost after a major surgery, prolonged hospitalization or complication from a chronic illness.

In fact, the physical therapy team at Advocate Home Health Services specializes in teaching easy exercises that will help improve physical mobility and ease the difficulty of everyday tasks, such as bathing and dressing.

“All the instruction is in the privacy of your home,” explains Cathy Rothert, a physical therapist with Advocate Home Health Services. “Your home is a great place to learn these exercises because it’s a comfortable and supportive environment,” says Rothert, a physical therapist for 25 years.

Identifying your goals
During Rothert’s first visit, she assesses her client’s physical strengths and weaknesses and gets a sense of what the client’s goals are. “For instance, someone might want to walk up and down the stairs without assistance,” Rothert says.

On subsequent visits, which take place two or three times a week and last about an hour, Rothert teaches strength and flexibility exercises. To improve leg strength, for example, Rothert attaches light weights to the client’s ankle. Sitting in a chair, the client raises his or her leg until it’s parallel to the floor.

Family support
Of course, family members and caregivers are welcome to observe the sessions. “They’re part of the process and can be a good support team,” Rothert says. “Medicare pays for home visits if you are homebound and if the visits are ordered by a physician who determines they are medically necessary,” she adds.

Rothert emphasizes that clients must perform the moves every day—even when she’s not there to help them stick to their routines. “You have to get exercise every day,” she stresses. The good news is that the exercises can be staggered throughout the day: A half-hour can be broken down into 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon.

“It can be hard at first to get started,” Rothert says, “but you’ll certainly enjoy the benefits.”