Sustaining Outcomes for Older Adults in Physical Therapy (Recorded Webinar)
Presented by Jennifer Lucas
This course is a recording of a previously hosted live webinar event. Polling and question submission features are not available for this recording. Format and structure may differ from those of standard Medbridge courses.
Despite best efforts, many older adults experience functional decline or regression after discharge from physical therapy. Systemic barriers, such as limited visit approvals, workforce shortages, and gaps in caregiver support, can compromise long-term outcomes. Sustainable care planning is no longer a luxury—it’s a clinical necessity.
This webinar will equip physical therapy professionals with actionable strategies to sustain outcomes for older adults across settings. Learners will explore how to embed discharge planning from the first visit, engage patients using the Geriatrics 5Ms and motivational interviewing, and build personalized, community-connected plans of care. Real case studies will illustrate how alternative delivery models like remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) and telehealth can be used to extend care beyond the clinic.
This intermediate-level course is ideal for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants working in outpatient, home health, or senior care environments. Join us to reframe your approach to care planning and become a stronger advocate for functional independence, continuity, and the true value of physical therapy.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze systemic barriers affecting sustainable outcomes for older adults (e.g., payer restrictions, staffing shortages, and access limitations)
- Determine how limitations in traditional care models impact long-term patient success post discharge
- Apply patient-centered care planning strategies using the Geriatrics 5Ms and motivational interviewing
- Select appropriate community supports and account for social determinants of health when designing sustainable plans of care
- Implement alternative care delivery methods (e.g., telehealth, RTM) to support sustainable care beyond in-person therapy
- Correlate physical therapy’s role with healthcare system needs to demonstrate PT’s value in addressing access, cost, and outcomes
Meet your instructor
Jennifer Lucas
Jennifer Lucas, PT, DPT is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy with over 20 years of experience advancing innovative, sustainable approaches to care for older adults. Her career has focused on enhancing patient outcomes through the integration of technology, evidence-based practices, and…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Why Sustainable Outcomes Matter: Defining the Problem in Geriatric Care
This chapter introduces the urgency behind sustainable care management by defining the clinical and systemic problems affecting older adult outcomes. Through real-world examples, including Bea’s case study, learners will explore how access limitations, reimbursement challenges, and patient support gaps contribute to unsustained outcomes. This sets the stage for implementing strategic care solutions in later chapters.
2. Planning for Sustainability From Day One
Sustainable care begins at the evaluation. This chapter explores how physical therapists can integrate discharge planning into the plan of care from day one by identifying what matters most to older adults. Using Ms. M’s story, learners will examine strategies for engaging patients in their own health management through motivational interviewing, community resource mapping, and early caregiver inclusion.
3. Executing Sustainable Plans: Transitions, Technology, and Teamwork
In this final chapter, learners will examine how to maintain continuity and support sustainable outcomes through care transitions, caregiver involvement, and alternative models of care delivery such as telehealth and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM). Mr. P’s case highlights the importance of coordinated care and technology in reducing falls, enhancing independence, and extending the reach of physical therapy. The course concludes by revisiting the system-level challenges introduced in Chapter 1 and demonstrating how physical therapists can be at the forefront of solving them.
4. Question and Answer Session
This chapter is a viewer-submitted question and answer session facilitated by Jennifer Lucas.
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