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.
Geriatric physiotherapy is a branch of physiotherapy for adults roughly 65 and older that treats age related changes in strength, balance, and joint health, usually alongside one or more chronic conditions, with the aim of keeping the patient mobile and independent.
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 North York location serves patients from Downsview, Bathurst Manor, Willowdale, and the surrounding Wilson Avenue corridor.
951 Wilson Ave, Unit 15, North York
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
