The American Physical Therapy Association is a national professional organization representing more than 68,000 members. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education. Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants and students working to become a PT or PTA can join the APTA in order to support the advancement of physical therapy, and to improve their own knowledge and practice.  APTA also works to provide resources to patients and clients, to help them get the information and care that they need related to physical therapy. 

The APTA’s website is www.apta.org. 

 

The Section on Geriatrics is a specialty section of the APTA.  APTA members may join our Section if they are particularly interested in advancing PT care for aging adults.  We also work to provide helpful information to PTs, PTAs, patients, and clients, related to PT for aging adults.

 

Geriatric physical therapists work with aging adults, catering to their specific needs and rehabilitation as it related to their intimate function both in and outside of their living environment.

Geriatric Physical Therapists:

• Perform an examination and evaluation to determine the level of a person’s strength and function. This may include:
• A diagnosis of a person’s challenges to their optimal function as they go about their normal activities.
• A plan for how a person can improve their function, which could include specialized exercises and/or more physical therapy.
• A plan of care that includes your personalized goals.
• Provide interventions which may consist of
• Direct intervention
• Coordination of services
• Discharge planning
• Documentation
• Communicate with other health care professionals involved in the individual’s care.
• Provide patient-related instruction for both patient and family or caregiver.
• Strive to help the patients / clients become as functional as possible with in their living environment

 

A Geriatric Certified Specialist (GCS) is a licensed Physical Therapist who is certified in Geriatric Physical Therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (ABPTS). 

To become certified as a GCS, a PT must:

• Complete over 2000 hours of geriatric clinical practice while working with geriatric individuals who have physical dysfunction
• Demonstrate competency in the following areas:
  • Patient care (examination, evaluation. Diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention )
  • Patient education
  • Interpretation of research
  • Administration
  • Consultation
• Pass the Geriatric Clinical Specialist Examination

APTA has an online database of physical therapists.  You can search for people with a practice focus in geriatrics.  Your results will also include all of the Geriatric Certified Specialists in your area: they will have the letters “GCS” listed after their name.

APTA’s “Find a PT” database:  www.apta.org/findapt