If you’ve already fallen once, your chance of falling again just doubled. That’s not meant to scare you—it’s the reality that makes acting now so important.
Balance exercises for seniors aren’t about becoming an athlete. They’re about walking to the mailbox without second-guessing every step. Getting out of bed without bracing for impact. Moving through your own home like you used to.
Physical therapy for balance works because it’s specific. You’re not doing generic stretches from a handout. You’re working with a licensed therapist who evaluates your gait, your strength, your medication list, your actual home environment. Then we build a program around what your body needs to stay upright and stable. The Otago Exercise Program we use has been studied for years—it cuts fall risk by 35% to 40% when done correctly. That’s not marketing. That’s clinical data.
You don’t have to leave your house. You don’t need to arrange rides or sit in a waiting room. Your therapist comes to you, works with you one-on-one, and helps you get stronger in the space where you actually live.
We’ve been treating patients across Suffolk and Nassau County for over 14 years. We specialize in home-based care for older adults who find it difficult—or risky—to leave the house for appointments.
Water Mill has a median age of 56, with nearly 20% of residents over 65. That’s a lot of people navigating stairs, uneven flooring, and the physical realities of aging in place. We get it because we’ve been doing this work in your community for years.
Our therapists are trained in the Otago Exercise Program, which is recognized by the CDC and covered by Medicare. We accept most commercial insurance as well. You’re not working with someone who just graduated—you’re working with clinicians who understand fall risk from every angle: strength, balance, medications, home hazards, and fear.
You call us. If you don’t have a prescription yet, that’s fine—New York allows you to start physical therapy without one for up to 30 days or 10 visits. After that, we’ll need a script from your doctor, but we can help coordinate that.
We schedule your first visit at your home. A licensed physical or occupational therapist comes to you and does a full evaluation: how you walk, how you get up from a chair, your balance, your strength, any pain or limitations. They’ll also look around your home for fall hazards—loose rugs, poor lighting, clutter in walkways.
From there, we design your program. It’s usually three sessions per week for about 12 weeks, with each session lasting 30 to 45 minutes. You’ll do strength and balance exercises tailored to your ability level. Some of it happens during the session. Some of it you’ll practice on your own between visits.
Your therapist adjusts the program as you improve. The goal isn’t just to get you stronger—it’s to reduce your actual fall risk and help you feel steady again in your daily life.
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You get one-on-one care in your own home. No group classes. No shared attention. Just you and a therapist who’s focused entirely on your progress.
The program includes a personalized fall risk assessment, strength training, balance exercises, gait training, and a home safety evaluation. If you need adaptive equipment—like a walker, grab bars, or better lighting—your therapist will recommend it and show you how to use it correctly.
Here’s what matters for Water Mill residents specifically: Long Island ranks 4th and 5th in New York State for fall-related incidents in Nassau and Suffolk counties. You’re statistically more at risk here than in most other parts of the state. That’s not your fault—it’s a combination of demographics, housing stock, and healthcare access. But it does mean fall prevention isn’t optional. It’s survival.
Medicare Part A, Part B, and Medicare Advantage all cover the Otago program when medically necessary. We handle the billing. You focus on getting stronger.
Most people notice a difference within the first four to six weeks, but the full program runs about 12 weeks for a reason. Balance isn’t something you fix in a weekend.
Early on, you might feel more aware of your body—how you shift weight, where you feel unstable, how your legs respond when you stand up. That awareness alone helps. But real strength and coordination take time to build. Your therapist will track your progress with objective measures: how long you can stand on one foot, how fast you walk, how many times you can sit and stand without using your arms.
The research on Otago shows the biggest reduction in fall risk happens when you complete the full program and keep up with the exercises afterward. It’s not a one-and-done thing. It’s a shift in how you move and how your body supports you.
Yes. The whole point of a fall prevention program is to meet you where you are, not push you into something dangerous.
Your therapist starts with an evaluation to see what you can do safely right now. If you’re very deconditioned or you’ve had multiple falls, the exercises will be gentler and more supported. If you’re relatively strong but just unsteady, we’ll challenge you more. Everything is scaled to your current ability.
You’re also doing this at home, which is actually safer in some ways. You’re not navigating a new environment or trying to perform in front of other people. You’re in your own space, wearing your own shoes, moving around furniture you know. Your therapist is right there to spot you, correct your form, and make sure you’re not at risk.
Medicare covers the Otago Exercise Program when it’s medically necessary, which it usually is if you’ve fallen or you’re at high risk of falling. That includes Part A, Part B, and most Medicare Advantage plans.
You’ll still have your normal copays or deductibles depending on your plan, but the service itself is covered. We accept Medicare and nearly all commercial insurance, and we’ll verify your benefits before we start so there are no surprises.
If you’re paying out of pocket for any reason, we’ll tell you upfront what that looks like. But for the vast majority of our Water Mill patients, insurance handles it. We’ve been doing this since 2010—we know how to bill correctly and work within the system.
Otago is evidence-based and individualized. It’s not a DVD you follow or a class you attend with 15 other people doing the same moves.
It was developed in New Zealand and has been studied extensively by the CDC, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Project, and public health agencies in 16 states. The data shows it reduces falls by 35% to 40% in frail older adults when delivered correctly by a trained therapist.
We deliver the program in your home with one-on-one supervision. Your therapist tailors every exercise to your specific limitations, goals, and environment. It includes strength work, balance challenges, and walking practice—all the things that actually prevent falls. And it’s progressive, meaning it gets harder as you get stronger. You’re not stuck doing the same beginner moves for three months.
If you’ve already fallen once, you’re at risk. Period. Falling once doubles your chances of falling again, and that’s true whether you got hurt or not.
But even if you haven’t fallen, there are other signs: feeling unsteady when you walk, grabbing onto furniture or walls for support, avoiding stairs, feeling dizzy when you stand up, taking four or more medications, or just being afraid you might fall. Fear of falling is actually a risk factor on its own because it makes you move less, which weakens you further.
Your therapist will do a formal fall risk assessment during your first visit. They’ll test your balance, strength, gait speed, and reaction time. They’ll ask about your medical history and medications. And they’ll give you a clear answer about where you stand and what needs to change.
Yes, but only for a limited time. New York allows direct access to physical therapy, which means you can see a therapist without a prescription for up to 30 days or 10 visits—whichever comes first.
After that, you’ll need a prescription to continue. Most of the time, your therapist will communicate with your doctor and help arrange that for you. It’s not a barrier—it’s just a step in the process.
If you already have a prescription, great. Bring it or have your doctor fax it over. If you don’t, we can still get started right away and handle the paperwork as we go. The goal is to get you moving and safer as quickly as possible, not to make you wait.
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