Physical Therapy Assistant

Providers bring therapy in house to increase access, resident independence. March 5, 2026 Several senior living providers recently have brought therapy services in-house in an effort to provide residents easy and consistent access to such care and to remove potential access barriers such as transportation and scheduling. For example,White Horse Village, a Pennsylvania continuing care retirement / life plan community, recently launched White Horse Village Therapy, providing physical, occupational and speech therapy on campus through a partnership with Health Advisory Partners, an Aegis Therapies subsidiary. "Establishing White Horse Village Therapy allows us to provide a more individualized and responsive therapy experience that supports their daily lives and long-term wellness," White Horse Village President and CEO Michael Shaw told McKnight's Senior Living. "This service model supports a more consistent and comprehensive care plan, integrating therapy into residents' daily living experience and enhancing overall continuity of care." Therapists are employed by the CCRC and work on a rotating basis to enable daily appointments to be provided. Residents coordinate with therapists to create a schedule of services. The decision to bring therapy services in-house, Shaw said, supports the community's strategic vision of providing a seamless continuum of care for older adults. By offering therapy within the CCRC, he said, White Horse Village can deliver more effective and efficient care while reducing the challenges of transportation and scheduling. Service refresh. Meanwhile, Springwell Senior Living, an independent living, assisted living and memory care community in Baltimore, has contracted with a new external provider, Assisted Rehab, to continue to offer onsite physical, occupational and speech therapy services to its residents. The arrangement means that residents can still receive rehabilitation support at the community. Through the partnership, Assisted Rehab retained Springwell's two full-time therapists as part of its team, ensuring familiar faces and seamless transitions for residents. Springwell said that it provides families and residents with coordinated, responsive and personalized rehabilitation support. Springwell had offered therapy services onsite for several years, but the exit of its therapy provider from the business created an opportunity to bring in a new partner and expand services, Phil Golden, principal of Springwell, told McKnight's Senior Living. Unlike the White Horse Village partnership, therapists at Springell are employed by Assisted Rehab and are on site Monday through Friday. Golden said that Assisted Rehab's corporate support and communication with its nurses, residents and families elevates the community's therapy services. Maintaining independence. Goodwin Living also recently announced a new partnership through which its full-service therapy agency will provide a therapy and exercise program to residents of affordable senior housing community Culpepper Garden in Arlington, VA, which is managed by Senior Lifestyle. The community is partnering with Goodwin Rehabilitation to bring services on-site. The agency is owned and operated by Goodwin Living and serves 4,000 older adults in the National Capital Region. "The convenience of on-site therapy services and exercise programming will help our residents be able to remain in their apartment homes longer and retain quality of life and well-being," Culpepper Garden President Marta Hill Gray said in a statement. Goodwin Rehab will provide personalized physical therapy, as well as specialty programs including falls prevention and vestibular rehabilitation, as well as rehabilitation protocols for joint replacement, fractures, cerebrovascular accidents (strokes), cardiac or pulmonary incidents, dysphagia and more, Goodwin Living Health Vice President of Performance and Operations Melinda Gren, DPT, said in a statement. Group exercise classes at the community will focus on strength, balance and flexibility to support overall health and wellness while addressing areas where older adults mostly commonly experience challenges. Classes will be modified regularly to reflect the needs, abilities and preferences of participants, and they may be adjusted seasonally.

As part of Falls Prevention Month, Springbrookassistedliving is collaborating with Aegis Therapies for a presentation on the best ways to prevent falls.