October is National Physical Therapy Month. This event is held each year by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) to help nursing homes facilities, rehabilitation centers, and home health care professionals join in the celebration of a healthy, active life and thank physical therapists for their assistance in elderly care.

If you’re interested in doing your part this October, explore the list below to learn more about how your senior center can participate:

Get Seniors Active 

Physical therapists keep seniors healthy and mobile. They also help them maintain their independence. Techniques like manual therapy and exercise therapy improve seniors’ mobility and quality of life. Your assisted living facility or rehabilitation center can strengthen its physical therapist’s efforts and celebrate National Physical Therapy Month by designing activities to keep each resident active. From balance exercises promoting safety to walking sessions designed to stimulate the mind and body, there are a variety of activities your senior care center can build into its October schedule. 

Learn About Pain Management 

This year’s National Physical Therapy Month theme is about choosing a safer way to manage pain. Opioid medication is often prescribed to seniors for chronic pain but has detrimental side effects that can negatively impact physical, mental, and emotional health. Flexibility and strength exercises designed by a physical therapist can help eliminate the need for opioids for pain management. 

Serve the Community 

National Physical Therapy Month is also a great time to serve the Maui community. Senior care facilities can show their physical therapists they care by throwing them a thank you picnic, putting together a group card signed by your residents, or joining physical therapists and PTAs in the October 14 Day of Service. Home health care companies and rehabilitation center employees can help physical therapists clean up their local park or plant new flowers in your senior center’s flower bed. 

No matter which senior care facility you’re a part of, you can celebrate National Physical Therapy Month this October. The physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and support staff at Hale Makua Health Services serve the entire island of Maui and will celebrate this important event at their assisted living center in a variety of ways. To learn more about their October activities, call them in Kahului, HI, at (808) 877-2761. For information about their senior programs and philosophy, visit the website.