Welcome back to a NEW season of PT Elevated where we are broadening our topics to include more researchers but still focusing on topics that you can use in your clinic every day. This season some of our speakers are guests who will be live in-person at the EIM Align Conference this August 26-28 in Dallas, Texas.

On our eleventh episode of season 3, Heidi Moyer, PT, DPT, GCS, CEEAA a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy (GCS) and a Certified Exercise Expert in Aging Adults (CEEAA) joins us! Heidi is the Program director for Evidence In Motion’s Geriatric Certification Program currently. She has previous teaching experience with EIM, Illinois Physical Therapy Association, and for conferences such as National Student Conclave and Combined Sections Meeting. Heidi is an active APTA Geriatrics member, serving as a leader in multiple roles for APTA Geriatrics with the State Advocate Program and Balance and Falls Special Interest Group (BFSIG) as well as for the Illinois Physical Therapy Association, where they are the active chair of the IPTA Geriatric Special Interest Group (GeriSIG). We are so lucky to have her joining us at the Align conference this year!

Heidi’s Align Session Preview:
Heidi will be presenting at the conference during lab 6, “Move Well and OPTIMIZE Always,” alongside Teresa Schuemann, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS, SCS & Jennifer Stone, PT, DPT, OCS, PHC. The lab is hands-on and interactive. Its goal is to look at the maximization optimization of management and assessment and screening over of athletes across the life span. They will be looking at how you can optimize the performance of athletes across the lifespan, starting at the screening process, then assessment and management.

Heidi will be talking about the importance of plyometrics in training older adults and particularly in athletes that are in a plyometrics sport. As well as looking at the senior fitness examination and how you can integrate that in your practice to give you a guidance to how to manage older adults that are athletes.

This lab will be presented twice on Friday, once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once on Sunday, in the morning.

Here are some of the highlights:
In this episode Heidi expands on her experience working in geriatric physical therapy and becoming a geriatric certified clinical specialist. Heidi does say that you do have to be a jack of all trades because you are not just studying one body system or one joint in the body when looking at our older adults. The geriatric population can be present anywhere. She says her favorite geriatric topic to look at is health promotion and wellness and trying to get people moving long after we discharge them. She is very interested in keeping the geriatric population active and healthy. She also is interested in the topic of ageism. Whether that is self-ageism or ageism reflected from someone else.

Heidi completed her Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults (CEEAA) through the geriatrics academy through the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). It consists of 3-weekend intensive that included, assessment, interventions, and lastly special populations. There was then a written exam and a practical exam. The whole focus was to provide hand-on skills to be able to get access to outcome measures and get facetime with experts in the field within APTA geriatrics to learn about some of these test and measures that are not taught in entry level DPT programs. Heidi says it was a great way to get clinical skills, to see changes in management with her patients, trace progress closely and more.

Heidi says medication reconciliation is within the scope for physical therapists to perform for patients and serves as a safety net to make sure the medications are doing what they are supposed to do. Heidi works hybrid home health currently and the medication reconciliation is her least favorite part.

Heidi expands on career negative habits she picked up on and has broken over the years of practicing in the clinic, the fall risk assessment and handling patient falls, using the available assessment tools and more!

Heidi’s Clinical Pearl for Physical Therapist working with Pharmacist–
“If you have an interest in older adults and working with the geriatric population jump on the continuing education train. While the entry level DPT curriculum is obviously good enough to get us pass the exam, it is not sufficient to be an excellent clinician when working with older adults. If geriatrics is your passion or if you are in a setting where you do not have a choice and you must see patients of Medicare age, get into some continuing education classes, and make yourself comfortable. We are dealing with human lives and livelihoods and quality of life. We do not want to take that lightly. Do not be afraid to learn more, you are going to have to if you want to work with older adults.”

Helpful research and training:
Geriatric Certification
Introduction to Geriatric Rehabilitation
Geriatric Cardiovascular & Pulmonary
Exercise Prescription in Geriatric Rehab
Regulatory, Legal, and Policy Issues in Geriatric Rehabilitation
Geriatric Related Neurological Conditions
Management of Geriatric Musculoskeletal Conditions
Integumentary Conditions
Certified Exercise Expert for Aging Adults – American Physical Therapy Association
High-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Tria

Ad Info: We are excited to be back in person and back to hands-on learning for the 2022 Align Conference. This year you can join an all-star lineup of speakers in Dallas, Texas, August 26 through the 28. The labs and lectures focus on sharpening the physical, hands-on treatments essential to patient care. Save 5% on registration as a PT Elevated Podcast listener. Visit alignconference.com and use the promo code PTELEVATED at checkout.  You can find the promo code and a link to the website in the show notes. We can’t wait to see you!Connect with us on socials:
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Align Conference 2022, Website