Why should your facility be the best at treating balance problems? It can mean taking better care of your community. It can also mean additional referrals and revenue. Below is the business case for better balance programs.
- Our population of older adults is growing. By 2050 the population of older adults in the US will double in size.
- Older adults are more likely to fall: 1 out of 3 older adults will fall in a given year.
- Based on points 1 & 2, there is increasing demand for therapists skilled at preventing and caring for patients that fall. This is the business opportunity – are you ready?
- Numerous professional societies and literature reviews state that exercise is the best way to prevent falls.
- The best type exercise is balance (based on specificity of training principles).
- Being the best at balance exercises is a great way to attract new patients (average revenue per patient is $1K or more, depending on setting).
- What does being the best at balance look like (this is your competitive advantage)? Briefly, the best are very knowledgeable, e.g., information experts, about balance. They have the equipment needed to treat various balance problems – a couple of tilt boards won’t cut it. Lastly, the best have systems in place to direct patient care and and track outcomes. [These points will be cover more in depth in future blog posts].
If your facility does not have a balance program, you could be missing out on helping this patient population (and improving revenue for your facility). Consider starting, or improving, your balance program today. The time is now – an estimated 10K Baby Boomers retire everyday. Visit www.ADLbalance.com for more information on balance training, equipment, and fall prevention.