Physical Therapy Mission Statement Analysis

In 2013, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) adopted a new mission statement that sets the foundation guidelines for all incoming Physical therapists. The APTA’s vision is to “Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience". This vision statement can be interpreted differently from person to person, but to me, this vision statement stress the importance of our ability to move in our daily lives. Without the ability to move, we can miss out on new experiences, or worst, our daily experiences can be hindered. As a future physical therapist, I will embody APTA’s vision by taking responsibility of creating specific recovery plans that fits my patients’ needs. As a certified home health care aid, I often work closely with senior patients. These
By working so closely with these elders, I understand the importance of exercise to the health of the elderly. I see how an inactive lifestyle can have a negative impact on their bodies and health. One prime example of this is an elderly man that I worked with in the past. I remember this specific patient had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). CLL had an enormous impact on his quality of life. He had great difficulty performing daily activities. Simple tasks such as bathing can prove to be dangerous for him. With his symptoms of paper thinned skin, abnormal bleeding and chronic rash, this patient had an extremely difficult time doing daily tasks, let alone exercises. To this patient, exercising is a catch twenty-two. On one hand, his CLL have symptoms that made it extremely difficult to exercise, and on the other, he can not afford to be inactive because his muscles deteriorate without use. Other than me to assist him, this patient had a physical therapist. His physical therapist would come in once or twice a month to instruct him on a list of exercises to maintain his mobility. The list of exercises was effective by all means, but it was