The Autumn conference is tomorrow for the British Geriatric Society. Covering topics in elderly care, elderly medicine, rehabilitation and more. Severn Physiotherapy have been invited to deliver a short presentation covering our service and how we can support the NHS to deliver better community rehabilitation for older people in the UK.

NHS waiting times are long and rehabilitation is not offered to everyone. Yet deconditioning during a stay in hospital is common for older people, especially those living with frailty. So rehabilitation is so important to help older people get back to their previous level of mobility and remain safe and independent in their own homes.

We believe that NHS clinicians could do more to help older adults understand the options available to them. It is more difficult for older people to access the internet and use devices, or even consider that there might be alternatives to NHS rehabilitation. Therefore we feel that it is the responsibility of the NHS to be frank with patients, telling them that they can research other options if they would like to. Younger people might not need to be told this, as it is natural for them to research their healthcare choices. They have grown up with patient-centred models of care and open access to the internet. However, this is not the case for most older people.

We are looking forward to learning more from others at the conference and thank the British Geriatric Society for inviting us, opening to door for private services supporting the NHS now and in the future.