An Effective PT-PTA Team in Home Health

by jyomo
(San Jose CA)

What do you think are some factors that make a PT- PTA team successful in home health?

What can Physical therapists do to make the best use of PTAs in home health?

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An Effective PT-PTA Team in Home Health

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Aug 16, 2010
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PTA 's are competent
by: Richard

As a PTA of 12+ years, I fully understand my role. What I don't understand is the constant fear of of possible incompetent PTA's. The issue with the P.T. is always, "it's my license on the line!" PTA's have to undergo a rigorous national exam for licensure as well. You can't imagine how many incompetent physical therapists I have worked with that are not in touch with current regulations, give unrealistic goals to PTA's and come out of their doctoral program looking down on the years of experience and continuing education of a seasoned PTA. PT's DO get paid for what they do. So do PTA's. Just wanted to
let people know that jeopardizing the P.T. license is tantamount to jeopardizing our OWN license. And we would never want to do either.

May 30, 2010
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PT-PTA teamwork
by: Anonymous

The first thing PT's need to remember is that home health care is highly unsupervised. This is important to remember since PT's will be signing PTA's notes.

The number one factor that ensures quality care with any PT/PTA team is first and foremost knowing that both the PT and the PTA are passionate about improving and touching the life of the patient. When this dynamic is in place, everything else will fall into place.

Home Care Agency's need to pay their PT's for every visit that they supervise a PTA. i.e. If my PTA sees 8 patients today, I would exect $7-$10 per patient seen - that would be $56-$80 that day.

In home health care, PT retention will skyrocket when agency's treat the PT's with the respect and the pay that they work for. Home care agency's are depending on the PT's license to even be able to make a profit off of what the PTA is doing... pay the PT for this extra supervisory work.

Allow the time for PT's and PTA's to discuss each patient. Productivity may need to be lowered in order to allow for this.

PT's need to read the note they are signing and I would suggest a PT revisit every 5th visit due to the lack of supervision. If a PT revisits at the 10th visit and sees that things aren't going right or that progress does not match notes, the plan of care can be changed. This saves 5 or so visits of wasted time and money.

I would suggest that an agency spend the time and orientation money to allow a PT/PTA team to shadow each other for an entire month. Again, that's the PT's license on the line and the team will work better together when get to know each other better and gain a better insight into their treatment philosophy.

I think that PT's and PTA's should shadow another PT or PTA at least one day a month to gain fresh treatment ideas and continue learning. In home care, there is no clinic that I can bounce ideas or even questions off of my co-workers - this is the best way to allow for and encourage professional growth and development.

Another excellent source of field staff development and growth is monthly case studies. Each month a PT/PTA will present a difficult pt to the entire team (RN's, OT's etc...) and allow questions and ask questions.

These last two ideas are highly marketable and keep an agency on the cutting edge - letting prospective patients know that you encourage professional growth and discourage stagnancy.

Marcia Oliver MSPT

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