Keep Therapy Fun and Cheap!

When you are working out in the field or even in a clinic setting. You should be finding ways to make therapy more exciting and fun for the patient. Making the experience of therapy something for the patients to look forward to keeps your census high and your patients coming back! We all know the ups and downs of your caseloads. Keeping the patients wanting more keeps them coming back!

Always keep it fresh! Go to the Dollar Stores in your area and find fun items like pool noodles that you can work with Parkinson’s patients or patients that need range of motion exercises by having them grasp with two hands out in front and do a rowing motion. Those pool noodles are fun in color and light weight. Other dollar items could be plastic cups for stacking and doing walking patterns. Five Below stores

https://www.fivebelow.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopfijUk7NvvsjkVbtsPr4WGbj41qfQQgvx8wTLy7kC_niWL27Gd are popping up everywhere and have inexpensive light hand weights, bands, and other exercise equipment that can easily be added to your fun bag to bring into you patients. They sell hand gripers etc. that are all under $5. Buying some silly puddy can be great for working with hand patients instead of using thera-puddy. Using marbles or small suction cups found in the kids section are great fine motor skill activities. Painters tape is a great way to mark the floor for the patient if you want them to keep there eye on a certain spot, or walk a certain distance, or keep a straight line. No mess, comes right up and if you buy the blue or other colors it will be easy for them to see.

BE CREATIVE, if you are working with patients no one says you cant turn on some music from their era or generation and make it interesting.

Ask them their likes, dislikes, and hobbies! Incorporate that into the session to keep them interested.

Always remember to keep your receipts! Adding to your therapy “bag of tricks” can be tax deductible for those of you IC’s!!!

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FUN CHEAP IDEAS THAT YOU BRING TO YOUR PATIENTS?