Physical Therapy Assistant

Duties

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Under the direction of the Physical Therapist, plans, coordinates, and administers diverse physical therapy programs for wounded, ill and injured patients, as well as other beneficiaries.

Provides interpretation of Physical Therapist's findings to initiate care, considering patients' neurological, surgical, sensory, respiratory, cardiac status, gait ability, posture, age, and general health.

Designs a patient progressive treatment plan, utilized and designed to restore and maintain range of motion, strength, endurance, coordination, relaxation as well as promote healing, pain relief and improvement of functional independence.

Provides updated status in patient progress reports, as well as other administrative reports.

Instructs and reviews all home program precautions and contraindications with patients and family members on use and application of physical modalities for home environment.

Provides instruction to patients, family members and/or other health workers to perform selected treatment procedures and functional training activities.

Tracks procedure's effects on patients, long-and short-term effects of different types of therapy, and appropriateness of a specific therapy, noting overall trends in efficacy, reporting problems to supervisor.

Shares technical expertise with other therapy assistants, physical therapy students and other interdisciplinary team members.