Family Physiotherapy an extension of OMNI family
Treatment centre a pioneer in working with seniors
Wednesday November 14, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
Part two of a two-part series
Family Physiotherapy Centre not only treats residents in six OMNI long-term care homes, the Kanata-based clinic is also an extension of the OMNI family, and that’s something which makes the clinic’s general manager Pat LeClair very proud.

Adding to its three years of service to OMNI, Family Physiotherapy has recently signed a five-year contract to serve residents in six OMNI long-term care homes.

Family Physiotherapy has therapists working with residents of Forest Hill, Garden Terrace, Rosebridge Manor, Village Green, Woodland Villa and Almonte Country Haven, plus many other long-term care homes in eastern Ontario.

Family Physiotherapy has been a pioneer in providing long-term care homes with physiotherapy services, says LeClair.

“In 1999, when we introduced physiotherapy to retirement and long-term care homes, it was kind of a misnomer — no one was really doing it,” he says.

Although it was a bit of a risk from a corporate point of view, LeClair says the company felt it was an area where they could really make a difference in people’s lives.

About 60 per cent of residents in these homes use Family Physiotherapy’s services. Since signing on with OMNI three years ago, therapists from Family Physiotherapy have helped many residents regain their mobility to the point they no longer require wheelchairs or walkers.

OMNI homes are communities and when residents go for physiotherapy treatment, the idea is that they feel like feel like they’re still a part of that community, says LeClair.

Having a strong connection with OMNI is important, LeClair adds, because when residents leave a home to go to the clinic, they feel as if they’re still a part of the OMNI system.

“We’ve very much become a part of the (OMNI) community. We are an extension of the community,” says LeClair.

Residents who have to go to a doctor or dentist might not have this same experience, he notes. Being a big part of the OMNI community helps residents make a “seamless transition” from the home to the clinic.

“We need to assimilate ourselves within the community, so that when we are treating people and we are making recommendations to people, they see it as part of the overall service that’s being delivered by OMNI,” says LeClair.

Family Physiotherapy also co-ordinates and participates in OMNI social activities, which brings the clinic further into the OMNI fold. Additionally, the treatment centre promotes community engagement with its staff members, and its physiotherapists sit on many subcommittees within OMNI homes.

Read part one, Maximizing mobility and minimizing pain.