Frequently Asked Questions
The following are some frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please feel free to call us or email us on the Contact Us page.
What happens during the first visit & how long will it last?
The first visit will be spent discussing your physical injury / condition and how it has been affecting you. The affected area will then be assessed, as well as surrounding ones which may be impacted. Once this has been done, a treatment plan will be formulated. The physiotherapist will be able to demonstrate and advise you on the type of exercises which will address the affected area and ways of minimizing further injury. The initial assessment at home typically lasts approximately 45-60 minutes, while subsequent sessions are 30-45 minutes.
What should I wear?
The most important thing is that you wear something you are comfortable and can move freely in.
What space and equipment will be needed?
The therapists do not bring a treatment table with them, so if it becomes necessary to lie down as part of the assessment or treatment, a sofa or bed would be required.
Do I need a doctor’s referral?
No, you do not require a doctor’s referral to receive our services. Insurance companies, however, sometimes require a doctor’s referral before they will reimburse cost. If you have extended health benefits that cover physiotherapy it is best that you check with your individual provider.
Is your service covered through insurance?
We ARE able to directly bill insurance companies. These include ICBC, Veterans’ Affairs Canada, and some extended health benefits thorugh BC Medical Services Plan, Pacific Blue Cross, Green Sheild, Sunlife, etc. Coverage for physiotherapy varies through each plan so it is best to inquire about your individual coverage for physiotherapy services. Let us know during the first visit if you would like us to bill directly for physiotherapy services through your exnded health plan.
Missed appointments and late cancellations
We appreciate that there are occasions when an appointment has to be cancelled on short notice, either due to illness or unexpected life events. We therefore ask that you contact us as soon as you know that you won’t be able to make your appointment, so that your appointment time can be made available to another patient.
*We would appreciate a minimum of 24 hour notice of cancellation, or a cancellation fee MAY be charged.
What if I live out of town and want ongoing in home physiotherapy for a family member in Victoria?
With consent of your family member and while maintaining appropriate levels of confidentiality, we can provide physiotherapy services to your family member and communicate with you after each visit about their progress. An invoice is generated at the end of every month and provided to the client or family / Power of Attorney.
If I am arranging home care physiotherapy for a family member, should I plan to be there on the first visit?
With the consent of your family member, you are welcome to attend the assessment (or any other treatments that you decide). It can be helpful especially if there is some anxiety for your family member to have a health professional come to their home. It can help our team to establish rapport, help discussion of goals of treatment and to ensure that everyone is on the same page in terms of the rehabilitation program. If you are unable to attend the assessment, we will communicate our plans with the client as well as the family (with consent from the client)
How is a Telehealth visit conducted?
Telehealth visits use either videoconferencing program or phone calls to deliver the physiotherapy program on line, on the phone and at distance. We use a secure, encrypted program to deliver the exercises and ideally, monitor how you are doing the exercises. Treatment includes prescription of exercises, counselling about other home based modalities, social conversation and motivation while doing the exercises. Helping with motivation and compliance is a huge benefit to this type of a program.