Geriatric Physiotherapy


TASK 1: Speaking


1. Discuss these statements:

The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible.  ~Judith Regan


The great secret that all old people share is that you really haven't changed in seventy or eighty
years. Your body changes, but you don't change at all.  And that, of course, causes great
confusion.  ~Doris Lessing


To be seventy years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes



2. Discuss this question with your partner using the words below to help you.

According to researchers, people who live long lives stop eating when they are 80% full. How do you
think this helps them to live longer?

may      might       could     likely    perhaps


3. Ask and answer these questions.
 1. Why do you think that maintaining a healthy social network  contributes to longevity?
 2. Maintaining a positive outlook seems to contribute to living a long life. Why do you think this
is?
 3. People who live long lives often work hard. How do you think this helps them to live longer?


 4. Rate the adjectives describing a personal quality on a scale from 10 (the most important) to 0
(the least important)  for a long life:


sociable      independent      religious      healthy     wealthy    relaxed   intelligent



TASK 2: Reading


1. Before you read:

- What is geriatric physiotherapy?

- Why is it important?

- Which health problems is it aimed at?



2. Vocabulary:


Match the words to their definitions:


limb                                 return to a normal condition

to be prone to                  physical restoration of a sick person

fragility                           to have a tendency to something

recovery                          lack of physical strength

rehabilitation                   arm or leg


Find the synonyms to the following words in the text:


careful       _______________                lessen________________

soft            _______________                trauma _______________

old             _______________



Use of Physiotherapy in Geriatric Treatment


Physiotherapy can be quite beneficial to elderly patients. Geriatric physiotherapy became a
formally recognized specialty within physiotherapy in 1989.


Geriatric physiotherapy deals with problems of several different types in the older population. One
type is issues that arise when an elderly person is out of the habit of moving and exercising and
using their limbs.


Physiotherapists use range-of-motion exercises and other therapies to get the person into better
shape and able to function at a higher level.


Geriatric physiotherapy also can help with cardiovascular health. Through such therapies as
electrical stimulation, exercise, and aqua therapy, the physiotherapist can help reduce the risk
of, or aid recovery from, heart disease or stroke.


The elderly are also highly prone to arthritis, osteoporosis, and other skeletal problems. Because
of the fragility of some elderly patients, geriatric physiotherapists use milder, more cautious
therapies. But among the things they can work on with elderly patients are basic balance and motion
issues to decrease the risk of falls, since what would be just a fall in a younger person can often
result in significant injuries such as a broken hip in an older person.


People who have had knee or hip replacement surgery sometimes have difficulty getting used to
walking and everyday activities due to the changes in their body. Geriatric physiotherapy can use
exercise and other therapy during the post-surgery rehabilitation period to make the person more
comfortable getting around.

 3. Find the following things in the text:

-         3 types of therapy

-         3 kinds of diseases

-         2 types of surgical operations

4. Finish the following sentences:

1.      Geriatric physiotherapy became a formally recognized specialty in ....

2.      Such types of therapy as electronic stimulation, exercise and aqua therapy can help....

3.      Geriatric physiotherapy can use exercise and other therapy during the post-surgery
rehabilitation to.....

5. Answer the questions:

1. What problems does geriatric physiotherapy deal with?

 2. How can geriatric physiotherapy help with cardiovascular health?

 3. Why should physiotherapists work with the elderly on basic balance and motion

 issues?

 4. Why is physiotherapy important during the post-surgery rehabilitation period?

TASK 3 Listening

TIPS TO PREVENT FALLS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pCVacKQBsI

Watch the video and answer the questions:

1.      What injuries has Libby had?

2.      Which walking aid does she use to be more confident?

3.      What are the main reasons for falls in older people?

4.      What are the 5 steps people should implement to prevent falls?


TASK 4 Idioms

Select from the words in the box and complete idiomatic phrases

skin   neck    heart    face    chest    tooth     bones

1. Ironing is my least favourite activity. It’s a real pain in the _______.

2. The pass mark was 60% and he got 60.3%, so he made it by the _______ of his

teeth.

3. I know I should get to the meeting but I just can’t _____ it.

4. She has always kept her feelings for herself. She is not a sort of person to wear her

______ on her sleeve.

5. I just cannot resist chocolate and cakes - I have a sweet _____ .

6. The first thing to start solving a problem is to get it off your ____ .

7. I think there is going to be trouble at the meeting tonight; I can feel it in my _____ .