Physical therapy
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This case report describes the use of Sinaki and Mulder's approach to staging amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and functional outcome measures in designing a treatment program for a 59-year-old woman with ALS. ⋯ Disease staging and the use of functional outcome measures provide a framework for physical therapy evaluation and treatment of patients with ALS throughout the disease process. Physical therapists can assist patients with ALS through the provision of education, psychological support, rehabilitation programs, and recommendations for appropriate equipment and community resources.
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Falls are a major cause of death and disability among older adults. Fall-related knowledge among community-dwelling elderly individuals, however, is unknown. The purposes of this study were to assess the perception of falling as a health problem, to determine the perceived importance of fall-related risk factors, and to identify personal characteristics and attitudes associated with perceived importance of fall-related risk factors among community-dwelling elderly people. ⋯ The community-dwelling elderly individuals studied considered falls to be preventable and understood the importance of fall-related risk factors, but they did not consider themselves to be susceptible to falling.