PART 2: Geriatric Physical Therapy: A New Season of Excitement, Clinical Skills Application, and Opportunities

In Part II of Dr. Tim Fox’s 2024 Carole B. Lewis Lecture, Dr. Fox talks about optimal aging and why it has been his life’s work to not only get older adult patients to live longer, but live better longer—a goal that requires physicians to ask the right questions, proper dosage, and clinicians to apply their skillset aggressively and confidently. Dr. Fox then reveals his feelings about an audit by the Office of Inspector General, eventually dismissed, that was initially difficult to bear but later became a “gift.” It provided him the opportunity to educate Congress and the healthcare industry at large on his visionary model of treating older adults in their homes. Dr. Fox also proves that his proactive, “more is better” approach to physical therapy is not only beneficial for patients, but also brings a downstream cost savings component to healthcare. Be sure to catch Dr. Fox’s inspirational take-home message that closes out his lecture with an encore performance by The Pacemakers, an older adult dance troupe that embodies the belief that age should never dictate one’s optimal aging.