Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you take insurance?
Currently, we are Out of Network provider for all insurances. You can read more about my fee structure here. However, I am able to provide you with a Superbill (or submit one to your insurance on your behalf) you can use to request reimbursement for therapy services from your insurance provider. You may also be able to use your HSA or FSA spending to cover my services.
What do I need to participate?
What do I need to participate?
We bring the resistance bands, strength equipment, stretch straps, training table, soft tissue equipment, etc. If you happen to own equipment/weights, we can use those your things as well. We can make tasks more easy or difficult based on your needs. Workout appropriate shoes and clothing are encouraged, but not required.
Do I need to see my doctor first?
As of 2018,Illinois is a Direct-Access state for Physical Therapists, which means we no longer require a physician referral to see patients. We have received extensive training to identify ‘red-flag’s, medical contraindications to exercise and training and when a medical issue is outside of our scope of practice. However, many people do find their referral for PT starts from a discussion with your PCP. If they provide you with a referral, please have available for me to review so I can better learn what they hope you will gain from physical therapy. Once you start with HAE/PT, we provide a plan of care for your PCP to sign off on, and update them routinely with your progress.
Why home? Wouldn’t I be better off at a clinic or gym with equipment?
There are certainly some things you would be better working on in a gym setting or with a orthopedic therapist in a clinic setting. If upon speaking with you, I feel you’d be better served in another setting, I will tell you. However, meeting you in your home enables me to see where you are struggling. We can problem solve why getting out of bed is so hard, why all your falls seem to happen in your bathroom or why you’ve stopped working in the garden. By seeing how you function, in your home setting, I can make concrete suggestions to make this area safer, and work with you on the functional strength and balance activities that will directly help your mobility, safety and ease in which you perform your daily activities.
How long will you need to see me?
I typically recommend an initial treatment plan of four weeks. At that time, we will reassess your strength, mobility and balance and check on progress towards your goals. We may choose to decrease our frequency for the next four weeks if you are becoming more independent or continue if you still need the support. Once we meet your goals, we can either formally discharge or you can choose to transition to my Wellness Program.
What is your wellness program?
My Wellness Program is my solution to the problem I’ve seen time and time again in my practice as outpatient and home health PT. Therapists tend to see people for anywhere from two to eight weeks to twelve at the max. They discharge and we don’t hear from the patient again – until something happens. Unfortunately, that something is often a fall or a fracture or a rehospitalization. My solution is to keep you on my radar. By performing regular ‘check-ins’, I can make sure you are able to continue to follow your healthy living plan, make changes when needed, and help you determine when/if you need additional help. We determine together what frequency and what mode works best for you and we stay in touch.
What does your typical treatment look like?
It starts first by getting to know you. Our first meeting is a comprehensive evaluation. I will review your medical history, medication list, current health conditions and any active injuries. We will discuss your goals and I will do a thorough assessment of your mobility, stability, functional mobility and balance to determine where to focus our treatments plan.
If you have any active injuries, we will likely focus on that first so you can participate in ongoing sessions without limitation – or with modification as needed.
Ongoing sessions usually start with with a check-in and vital sign assessment, and then a warm up. We will work on mobility, functional strengthening, balance, flexibility and on any education needs.
Teaching is an ongoing part of all of my programs. I believe knowledge is power; the more you understand about your body and the way it works, the more you understand the ‘why’ of what we will do together. I will provide education on your health conditions and how best to manage them ongoing. I will always leave you with work to do after I leave; by the end of our time together, you will have a Wellness plan you will be confident you can follow ongoing.
Our first session will take around an hour and a half, and ongoing sessions will be about 45-60 minutes each. If you choose virtual check-ins, they may be half an hour or longer as needed.
ASK A QUESTION
Feel free to ask any physical therapy or wellness related questions over the phone, or send your question via this form below. Your message will be dispatched directly to our staff who will answer as soon as they can.