Abstract
An 89-year-old male with a traumatic hemothorax was seen for physical therapy treatment for 16 sessions during the summer of 2019 in an 18-day skilled nursing facility admission following a hospital discharge under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The patient was evaluated upon initial encounter 1 day following his admission to the skilled nursing facility with manual muscle testing, the modified 30-Second Sit to Stand, Elderly Mobility Scale, 6-Meter Walk Test, the Activities-Specific Functional Scale, and the Timed-Up and Go Test. A plan of care was established to address decreased functional activity tolerance and fall risk. The main goals for the patient were to increase mobility and be able to return home and to work. He also expressed interest in increasing lower extremity strength, increasing his endurance, and increasing his balance. His chief complaints were pain in the left ribs upon movement, decreased endurance, decreased balance, and decreased lower extremity strength. The main interventions used in this episode of care were lower extremity strengthening, balance training, ambulation training, and endurance training. The patient was able to increase lower extremity strength, increased functional capacity, decreased fall risk, and increase gait velocity. The patient was discharged home with a home exercise program and a referral to home health physical therapy. The patient was unable to return to work following discharge.