Physical therapy is a rewarding career. It’s deeply satisfying to help people increase body mobility and reduce pain. Plus it’s never boring and pays well.

Now is an especially great time to choose a career in PT. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 21% growth in PT employment by 2030 — that’s faster than average. With the market looking that good, you’ll have job security to boot.

Many students choose to pursue a sports-related PT career after rehabilitating a sports injury themselves. That makes sense — personal experience can be inspiring. But you have plenty of other specialty options, some of which include pediatrics, women’s health, orthopedics, and geriatrics.

Specializing in geriatrics may not be something you've considered as a PT student, but because millions of aging baby boomers have stayed active longer, the need is greater than it has been for previous generations. These older adults need physical therapy to rehabilitate injury, maintain mobility, and strengthen weak muscles.

When you get to the point of choosing a PT specialty, make sure you give serious thought to geriatrics for these three reasons.

1. You’ll Use Everything You Learned in School

It’s easy to assume that geriatric PT is less interesting and engaging than other specialities. You may picture sitting exercises and slow, static balance activities. The truth is that geriatrics PT requires creative thinking and dynamic activities and interventions. You’ll use everything you learned in school in interesting ways. For example:

PT is needed to minimize fall risks and maintain balance in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
PTs have ample opportunity to help older adults manage shoulder pain and do passive stretching and isometrics. After all, baseball players aren’t the only ones who need rotator cuff rehabilitation.
Resistance training improves strength and balance in older adults. No gym or weights are necessary for effective geriatrics PT — canned goods will do the trick.

Your work with an older adult who has a rotator cuff issue will have effects on multiple dimensions of their lives — physical, cognitive, and emotional. The interventions you choose to rehab that patient’s shoulder allow them to be more independent, and preserving their independence brings a sense of well-being.

2. You Can Serve Your Patients Better in Their Own Homes

People who are drawn to physical therapy generally want to help make a measurable, positive difference in their patients' lives. That can feel difficult to accomplish in outpatient clinics. Because of the revolving door nature of the outpatient care model, building substantial relationships with patients can be flat-out impossible. PTs can end up frustrated and burned out.

The FOX Rehabilitation house call model of care changes all that.

Practicing physical therapy in a patient's home gives them:

The highest quality care. When you work with a patient for weeks or months at a time, you can develop a real relationship. House calls give you the chance to know your patients inside and out and are their main point of contact. Many FOX PTs find they have bonds that last well after therapy has ended. You may get Christmas and birthday cards from grateful patients for years.
The comfort and security of the familiar. Patients experience less anxiety when they are at home. The stress of transportation to a clinic, waiting for their turn, or being rushed through a session is simply non-existent. Patients that feel safe and calm are more likely to be candid, cooperate fully, and look forward to their work with you.

Being in patients’ homes also affords you the chance to meet your patient’s family and friends. You can educate and reassure them, which makes your patient’s treatment plan more likely to be successful.

3. You Can Design a Career You Love at FOX Rehabilitation

The FOX house call model of care clearly benefits patients, but it benefits physical therapists, too. When you do house calls with FOX, you can:

Schedule appointments that work best for you. FOX gives you the power to create your own schedule. You set up your working hours and book visits with your patients. If you don’t want to work nights and weekends, you never have to. But if you find you need to work a night to free up a morning, you have the freedom to do that.
Work closely with a trusted mentor. New FOX clinicians are assigned a mentor, a veteran clinician who will support and guide you. You’ll have regular check-ins, but you’ll also have access to your mentor anytime you have an on-the-job question. Mentorships often turn into long-lasting friendships.
Tap into the expertise of fellow PTs. FOX has a huge network of clinicians. Thanks to virtual events and online groups, you can connect with other FOX PTs near and far. You can share stories, tips, and techniques with other clinicians with the same patient population.
Continue your clinical education. A big benefit of working with FOX is that continued clinical education is encouraged and supported. You participate in our Geriatric Specialist Program. Both avenues give new and seasoned clinicians tools to become Board Certified Geriatric Clinical Specialists.
Contribute to our vibrant culture in a way that suits you. Contribute to articles, star in a podcast, or join a committee. You’ll grow as a clinician, and you’ll help us be better as an organization.
Work in any of 24+ states. We are growing in order to meet the needs of the patient population. If we don’t have an opportunity near your current home base, chances are that we have one in the works. Or, if you’re flexible, we can help you take advantage of an exciting existing opportunity.

Start Your Physical Therapy Career on the Right Foot with FOX Rehabilitation

The physical therapy field is growing by leaps and bounds, and you do have choices about how (and where) to practice. Be sure you don’t discount a career in geriatrics. And if making the impossible possible for patients who appreciate you sounds appealing, let’s talk about how you can begin with FOX.