Functional Testing & Skilled Documentation in Geriatric Therapy

• • Demonstrate ability to administer and interpret functional tests that can be used as part of geriatric patient evaluations
• • Identify functional tests to help guide and personalize plan of care for your patients
• • Evaluate how patient test scores can be used to document patient progress and identify need for continued skilled therapy
• • Develop and write objective patient specific goals based on functional testing at evaluation
• • Identify new and improved ways to use functional testing
• • Determine which tests can be used to predict risk of falls

Demonstrate Patient Progress with Measurable, Objective Data
Changes in mobility and functional activities due to musculoskeletal and connective tissue degeneration, chronic pain, poor nutrition, and cardiopulmonary diseases are quite common in the geriatric population. Therapists must be equipped to effectively assess and treat this population. Additionally, there is increasing emphasis on the need for improved clinical documentation, as skilled documentation of therapy services and objective data is critical for reimbursement.

Functional tests can aid in the justification of and continued need for skilled therapy services. Learn to perform evidence-based validated tests and determine which tests are appropriate for certain patient populations. This course will improve your patient documentation and enable you to show patient progress with objective functional testing. Key areas of documentation will be included. Group activities will be used to improve skills for writing patient-centered goals and documenting skilled treatment interventions. A majority of course time is spent participating in labs and interactive group activities to aid in translating the information into everyday practice.