Our service provides specialist assessment and advice to you and to carers dealing with a wide range of conditions such as mobility issues, musculoskeletal and orthopaedic problems, Osteoarthritis, long term neurological conditions, Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. We are a team of physiotherapists who visit you in your own home, residential or nursing home, when circumstances show that you cannot attend physiotherapy at your local hospital (or when treating you in your own home environmental is required)

  • mobility
  • coming to terms with disability
  • reduced mobility due to recent joint replacement and / or fracture
  • reduced mobility due to recent acute illness
  • reduced mobility due to progression of a known diagnosis e.g. Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue syndrome, and other long term conditions..
  • reduced balance
  • decreased ability to cope with current walking aid
  • provision of a new walking aid
  • musculoskeletal and orthopaedic problems.

Here are some top tips to get yourself moving >

Our service aims to assess you and agree goals around daily living skills and physical recovery, in order to maximise your independence in the community. We use a patient-centered approach to assess, rehabilitate and empower you to improve your level of independence and manage long-term conditions. We also provide advice and education to you, your carers and family members.

The community physiotherapy service consists of three physiotherapists and two assistant physiotherapists. We work closely with other agencies (OT, community and specialist nurses, GP’s) to ensure the best possible support and advice is available to you.

Patients referred to our service must be aged 18 or over, who:

  • are housebound or treatment in their own environment would be more beneficial
  • are registered with a GP in the Medway CCG area.

If you feel that you would benefit from an assessment by the community physiotherapy service then you can ask your GP or other healthcare professional to make a referral to our service. After receiving the referral someone from our team may contact you by telephone to discuss your problems in more detail. You will then be offered an appointment for the physiotherapist to assess you at home.

We use physical approaches to promote, maintain and restore physical, psychological and social well-being, taking account of variations in health status. Community physiotherapy educates, supports, and cares for patients with a wide range of conditions, aiming to help them maximise their functional ability to perform everyday tasks and be as independent as possible within their home environment. We work closely with other colleagues from health, social care and the voluntary sector on delivering patient focused care

We provide assessment and treatment planning, as well as a range of support services.This support can take various forms, for example, we will provide patients with exercise programmes or put them in touch with relevant services and activities which might help them.

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  • The physiotherapist will visit you at home. As part of your assessment the physiotherapist will:
  • record personal details including your relevant medical history and any medication that you take
  • discuss details about the problems you are experiencing
  • complete an assessment of the difficulties you are experiencing
  • discuss goals and make a treatment plan.

Please note that this may include an examination of the area that is causing you a problem and you will therefore need to be dressed appropriately. You are welcome to have a friend, relative or carer with you during your assessment and treatment sessions.

Depending on the problems identified, follow up treatment sessions may be carried out by the physiotherapist or a therapy assistant. Patients will usually be given a treatment programme that they are encouraged to complete themselves in between visits. This programme should help to speed up your recovery.

Patients are discharged from the service when they have achieved their goals or when the physiotherapist recognises that physiotherapy is no longer helping. Please be aware that if patients fail to attend appointments, or do not comply with treatment, they may be discharged and will require a new referral to access the service again

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