Standing up from a low chair, taking the stairs, or walking to the bus stop should not feel like a gamble. Geriatric physiotherapy is physiotherapy built around older bodies, where the goal is not only less pain but keeping the independence you already have. Our team provides this care at two clinics with ground level access and unhurried appointment times, physiotherapy in North York and physiotherapy in Richmond Hill, and same day appointments are usually available. Below you will find how this care differs from standard treatment, the conditions we work on, what happens in your first session, what it costs, and who will be treating you.
The exercises may look similar on paper, but the reasoning behind them changes once a patient is in their seventies or eighties. Physiotherapy for seniors accounts for the fact that recovery is rarely about one isolated injury.
Most patients arrive with one main complaint and discover that two or three smaller issues are feeding into it. These are the areas we treat most often, and what the plan is usually aiming at.
If your pain sits in one specific area, these pages go into more detail: knee pain, back pain, sciatica, and ankle and foot pain.
Dizziness is one of the most common reasons older adults stop going out, and it is rarely caused by one thing alone. Inner ear changes, neck stiffness, blood pressure medication, and weak leg muscles can each contribute, which is why the assessment separates them before treatment starts.
Treatment combines specific head and eye exercises for the inner ear component with strength and stepping work for the muscular component. Where a walking aid such as a cane or walker is already in use, we check that it is the correct height and that you are using it on the right side.
The first appointment is mostly assessment, because a plan built without measurement is guesswork. It runs about 45 minutes and you will leave with something to start on the same day.
We ask what you can no longer do comfortably, what medications you take, and what your home looks like, including stairs and bathroom setup.
Joint range, muscle strength, and posture are checked, along with any painful movement you have been avoiding.
Standard tests such as the timed sit to stand and the Timed Up and Go give us a baseline number to compare against in a few weeks, rather than relying on how you feel on the day.
We look at footwear, walking aids, and vision or dizziness issues, then flag anything worth raising with your family doctor.
You go home with two or three exercises you can actually do, written down, along with a realistic timeline for the next few weeks.
We are a private clinic, so treatment here is paid privately or through your extended health insurance. That is worth stating plainly, because public coverage for seniors does exist and it is easy to assume every clinic offers it.
Pricing is per session and there is no membership or package requirement. These rates sit within the normal range for private physiotherapy across the GTA.
For a wider breakdown of what physiotherapy costs across the province, see our guide on how much physiotherapy costs in Ontario.
Ontario funds physiotherapy for eligible patients through the Community Physiotherapy Clinic Program, and adults 65 and older are one of the eligible groups. That care is delivered only at clinics enrolled in the program, and we are not one of them, so we would rather point you to the right place than have you find out at the front desk.
Patients often choose private care anyway because appointment times are easier to arrange and sessions are one to one. If cost is the deciding factor, check the public program first.
Both of our physiotherapists are registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario and practise under Provisional Practice, which means they have met the College requirements to treat patients while completing the final stage of registration. You can look up either name yourself on the College public register.
We treat older adults at both locations and same day appointments are usually available. Call ahead if you need a specific time of day, since mid morning slots fill first.
Our Richmond Hill location is on Yonge Street and is convenient for patients in Langstaff, Bayview Hill, and Oak Ridges.
9555 Yonge St, Unit 307, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9M5
Monday to Saturday
10:00 to 18:00
Sunday
Closed
Our North York location is on Wilson Avenue and is the one to choose if you need a Sunday appointment.
951 Wilson Ave, Unit 15, North York, ON M3K 2A7
Monday to Saturday
10:00 to 18:00
Sunday
11:00 to 18:00
Yes, if you are 65 or older and have a valid Ontario health card. OHIP physiotherapy coverage for seniors applies only at clinics enrolled in Ontario’s government-funded program, or at home through Ontario Health atHome, and there is no fee at those clinics. We are a private clinic and not part of that program, so visits here are paid privately or through your extended health plan.
No. In Ontario you can book private physiotherapy directly without a referral. Some extended health plans still ask for one before they reimburse, so it is worth checking your policy before the first visit. Access to the public program works differently and is covered in the OHIP section above.
Most extended health plans cover physiotherapy, and we bill many insurers directly. Bring your insurance card to the first appointment and we will confirm your coverage before treatment starts.
Treatment is delivered at our two clinics rather than in your home. If leaving the house is the main barrier, in home providers and the provincial home care service through Ontario Health atHome are the better route, and we are happy to say so.
Yes, and it often helps. A spouse or adult child who watches the exercises can support the home program between visits, particularly when memory or vision makes written instructions harder to follow.
Loose clothing you can move in, and the shoes you normally walk in rather than your newest pair. We often look at how your usual footwear affects your balance.
For most older adults, meaningful change in strength and balance takes six to twelve sessions across two to three months. Pain relief often comes sooner, but the strength that prevents the next fall is built over weeks.
