Geriatric Physical Therapy
Strength, balance, and independence for older adults — dosed like it matters, because it does.
What it is
Geriatric physical therapy is not gentle exercise for its own sake — it is properly dosed strengthening, balance training, and mobility work for older adults, built around the evidence that muscle responds to challenge at every age.
The stakes are independence: stairs, groceries, getting off the floor, staying out of assisted living. We measure those capacities directly and train them specifically.
Who it helps
- Age-related strength and mobility decline
- Fear of falling or recent falls
- Difficulty with stairs, transfers, or walking distance
- Recovery after hospitalization or illness
- Arthritis and joint stiffness limiting daily life
Older adults who want to keep — or reclaim — their independence, and adult children looking for a concrete answer to a parent's decline. Deconditioning is treatable; the earlier, the better.
How we assess
Validated functional testing: gait speed, five-times sit-to-stand, single-leg balance, and standardized fall-risk screening. These numbers predict real outcomes — and they move with training.
What treatment looks like
Progressive resistance training at effective intensity, balance work that challenges rather than placates, task practice (floor transfers, stairs, carrying), and a maintenance pathway when the goal shifts to holding ground.
Evidence & limitations
Progressive resistance and balance training in older adults is among the most robust findings in rehabilitation science — improving strength, function, and fall risk even past age 85. The limitation is dosage: under-challenging programs produce little, which is why we measure and progress rather than coast.
Questions, answered
Am I too old for strength training?
No — strength gains are documented into the 90s. Intensity is scaled to you, but the principle holds at every age: muscles adapt to what you ask of them.
Does Medicare cover this?
Skilled physical therapy for functional decline is a standard Medicare Part B benefit, with no hard visit cap — documentation requirements, which we handle, increase past an annual threshold. Maintenance-phase care is covered when skilled need is documented.
What if I've already fallen?
A fall is the strongest predictor of the next one — and the most treatable. Our balance and fall prevention program starts with a standardized risk assessment and targets your specific deficits.
Where it's available
Coming soon Sterling Heights, MI — 44056 Mound Rd, Suite 103. Opening February 2027; services are provided by Michigan-licensed physical therapists.
Insurance considerations
Skilled physical therapy is a standard benefit under Medicare, commercial plans, Michigan auto no-fault, and workers' compensation; coverage always depends on your specific plan and medical necessity. We verify your benefits before your first visit — see Insurance & coverage.
Related: Balance & fall prevention · Medicare maintenance program · Arthritis
Opening February 2027
Join the waitlist to be first in line — or, for physicians, attorneys, and employers, reach out now and we'll have your workflow ready before the doors open.
Request an evaluation