Editor's Message: Mobility and Function in Later Life

Document Type

Editorial

Publication Date

7-2010

Abstract

Physical therapists play a unique role in the health care system: as experts in task analysis, we are the professionals who examine problems that individuals encounter in their mobility and daily function, whether due to injury, illness, surgery, or deconditioning. A solid understanding of anatomy and kinesiology is certainly the foundation for our skill set. We also incorporate knowledge of typical development and of age-related changes across multiple systems: the ability to “data collect and data process” of the sensory and perceptual systems, the ability to interpret, analyze, remember, and learn of the many association areas of the brain; the ability to plan and initiate appropriate movement responses of the various components of the motor system, and the challenges that may be encountered in enacting responses by an aging or deconditioned musculoskeletal or cardiopulmonary/ cardiovascular system. When working with an aging adult, we determine which of the potential contributors to movement dysfunction are remediable with intervention, or when adaptation of the task or environment may instead be necessary.

DOI

10.1097/JPT.0b013e3181f11887

Publication

Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy

Volume

33

Issue

3

Publisher

Wolters Kluwer

Pages

102-102

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