Physiotherapy

We have well-established relationships with physiotherapists across Melbourne, and we’re also happy to work with your existing physiotherapist if you have one (they’ll simply need to be onboarded with us first, just speak to your Care Partner to arrange this). 

A registered physiotherapist will visit you at home to help maintain and improve your movement, strength, and physical function, tailored to whatever your needs are at the time. Under the Support at Home program, Physiotherapy sits within the Clinical Supports category, alongside services like Occupational Therapy, Podiatry, Dietetics, Speech Pathology, Psychology, Exercise Physiology, and Social Work. 

A physiotherapist working with you at home might focus on: 

• Strength and balance exercises to reduce the risk of falls 

• Mobility retraining after a hospital stay, illness, or injury 

• Pain management strategies for conditions like arthritis or chronic joint pain 

• Gait and walking aid assessments, including recommendations for walking frames or sticks 

• Post-surgical rehabilitation, helping you regain strength and confidence safely 

• General conditioning exercises to maintain independence and prevent decline 

Physiotherapy isn’t just for recovery after an injury, it’s equally valuable as an ongoing, preventative support to help you stay strong and steady as you age. 

Because Physiotherapy falls under Clinical Supports, it is fully government-funded, with no co-contribution required, regardless of your income or assets. This means if you’re eligible for Support at Home and Physiotherapy is included in your Care Plan, there’s no out-of-pocket cost standing between you and the mobility support you need. 

If you’re not yet receiving government funding, or you’d like additional physiotherapy sessions beyond what your care plan covers, Chris Barnard Health also offers privately funded Physiotherapy, so a funding gap never has to mean going without support. 

Our Care Starts with a Real Conversation – Your Care Partner and physiotherapist take the time to understand your goals, not just your diagnosis. Whether that’s being able to garden again, walk to church independently, or simply feel steadier on your feet, your physiotherapy plan is built around what actually matters to you, not a generic exercise sheet handed out on day one. 

Qualified, Carefully Selected Professionals – Every physiotherapist we work with is registered, experienced, and selected not just for clinical skill but for the ability to build genuine rapport, because physiotherapy works best when you feel comfortable and motivated, not just instructed. If you’re already working with a physiotherapist but would prefer to switch to one of our in-house team, we’ll work closely with you to carry across the routine you’re used to, so there’s no disruption to your progress. We choose professionals we would trust to work with our own family members. 

Connected to Your Broader Care Team – Physiotherapy doesn’t happen in isolation. Your physiotherapist’s observations and recommendations are shared with your Care Partner and, where relevant, your nursing and personal care team, so your whole care plan responds to your changing mobility and strength, not just one appointment at a time. This kind of internal case conferencing means a change your physiotherapist notices, like increased fall risk, gets picked up and acted on quickly, not lost between services. 

What to Expect in Your First Sessions – Your first physiotherapy visit typically involves a thorough assessment of your current mobility, strength, balance, and any pain or physical limitations you’re experiencing. From there, your physiotherapist works with you to set realistic, meaningful goals and builds a program tailored specifically to you. As with all our services, it’s normal for a program to be adjusted over the first few sessions as your physiotherapist gets to know how your body responds, and what genuinely fits into your daily routine. 

Physiotherapy, like every service we provide, is guided by your rights under the Aged Care Act 2024. This includes the right to: 

• Make decisions about your care, including how and when physiotherapy is delivered 

• Be treated with dignity and respect throughout every session 

• Be involved in setting your own goals and reviewing your progress 

• Speak up if a program isn’t working for you, with the assurance that your feedback will shape what happens next 

If something ever goes wrong, whether that’s a scheduling issue, a concern about an exercise, or anything else, we respond using a structured, best-practice approach called open disclosure: informing you promptly, listening to your observations, and working with you to resolve it. Transparency isn’t an afterthought for us, it’s built into how we operate. 

Physiotherapy is available to eligible Support at Home participants, generally people aged 65 or over (50 or over for First Nations people) who need coordinated support to remain safely and independently at home, or younger people with a disability, dementia, or other care needs not met through other specialist services. Physiotherapy is also a core part of our Restorative Care Pathway , offering additional funding for people recovering from illness, injury, or a hospital stay who need more intensive support to regain independence. 

• A team that talks to each other – Your physiotherapist’s insights are shared directly with your Care Partner and wider care team through regular case conferencing, so mobility changes are acted on quickly, not left until your next scheduled review. 

• Consistency that builds real progress – Because we invest in our own workforce and coordinate care internally, you’re more likely to see the same physiotherapist and care team over time, which means less time re-explaining your history and more time actually making progress. 

Call us on 1300 602 469 to find out more about Physiotherapy and how it fits within Support at Home or fill out our contact form on the website and a member of our team will be in touch.