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Idaho’s bodily remedy group is rallying behind new laws launched in Congress that will assist increase entry to vital bodily and occupational remedy (PT/OT) companies for seniors enrolled in Medicare. The bipartisan Stopping Dependancy and Falls for the Aged (SAFE) Act (H.R. 7618) would increase Medicare protection to incorporate a falls threat evaluation supplied by a bodily or occupational therapist — falls knowledgeable — as a part of this system’s annual wellness visits and preliminary preventive bodily exams.
This small however important change would assist handle the rising epidemic of senior falls in america that’s threatening the well being and well-being of older Individuals whereas driving up healthcare prices and prescription drug dependence.
In accordance with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), 30 million aged Individuals — or roughly 25% of all seniors — expertise a fall yearly. These falls lead to roughly 3 million emergency room visits, 300,000 hip fractures and an extra $50 billion in related healthcare prices yearly.
As a bodily therapist and clinic proprietor with practices throughout Idaho, I personally know the immense worth bodily and occupational remedy companies can present for our nation’s seniors. Bodily remedy helps aged sufferers keep regular on their toes and in the end helps them keep away from falls, extra successfully handle their ache, and reside extra lively, impartial lives. By integrating bodily therapist-provided falls threat assessments into Medicare’s annual wellness visits and bodily exams, we will higher assist Idahoans keep away from injury-causing and life-threatening falls.
It’s that straightforward — the SAFE Act would assist safeguard the bodily well being of my older sufferers by lowering fall-related accidents.
Furthermore, lowering falls amongst older Individuals would offer immense cost-saving advantages for our whole healthcare system. In accordance with CDC information, the typical hospital price for a fall-related damage is roughly $30,000, and by 2030, the projected price of treating senior falls in America’s hospitals is predicted to succeed in over $100 billion yearly. Proactively offering seniors in Medicare with bodily and occupational remedy companies can tremendously cut back their possibilities of falling.
The SAFE Act not solely helps defend older Individuals; it could additionally assist cut back general healthcare spending.
In accordance with a report launched final 12 months, bodily remedy can result in a big discount in hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and opioid use amongst Medicare beneficiaries. Seniors who make the most of bodily remedy companies, in line with the report, had been 50% much less prone to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized within the six months after a fall and 39% much less doubtless to make use of opioids. In the end, the examine discovered that increasing the usage of PT/OT companies amongst older Individuals may assist cut back Medicare spending by $10 billion yearly.
Bodily remedy has a transformative impression on the standard of life and well-being of my sufferers; serving to them enhance their stability, power, and independence. On the identical time, growing entry to bodily remedy companies — like falls threat assessments —via the Medicare program might help forestall expensive and infrequently avoidable accidents. Proper right here at house, 27% of older Idahoans, or greater than 112,000 seniors, are in danger for a critical fall — a lot of which we will forestall.
Bodily therapists in Idaho, and throughout the nation, are already skilled to carry out falls threat assessments, throughout which we consider a affected person’s residing house and assist determine any potential fall hazards. In accordance with analysis, older Individuals who obtained house evaluation companies from a skilled skilled had been in a position to decrease their threat of a fall by 31%. It’s time these companies are made obtainable to all Medicare beneficiaries as a part of their annual wellness visits.
I urge Congress to move the SAFE Act directly. This commonsense legislative resolution will assist defend seniors from fall-related accidents and deaths whereas lowering healthcare spending. I name on Idaho’s congressional delegation to assist falls prevention for our state’s rising inhabitants of older Individuals.
Bryan Wright PT, DPT, OCS is the founder and CEO of Wright Bodily Remedy.
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