You are considering becoming a physical therapy aide/assistant because you have heard that careers in health care offer good salary, benefits and opportunities for advancement. It is best not to make a final decision before learning about the specifics of this particular career. Use this guide to make up your mind.
What does a physical therapy aide do? The aide is part of the team of a physical therapist. As an aide, you will work under the instruction and supervision of a therapist and his/her assistant. You can expect to perform simple tasks on the jobs such as preparing the treatment area and cleaning it after the procedure. You will have to move equipment and assist patients in getting to the therapy room. Many aides perform clerical tasks which include answering the phone, arranging appointments, keeping patient records and filling out insurance forms.
Where can you find physical therapy aide jobs? Most positions are available in the offices of physical therapists. However, there are also positions in hospitals, nursing care facilities and outpatient centers. The jobs in specialty hospitals and in the home health care service sector are fewer. It is worth pointing out that the nature of the work does not vary greatly from one type of employer to the other, even though clerical duties are typical only for positions in the offices of health care practitioners. The work environment is generally clean and safe and this is important to note.
How much does a physical therapy aide make? The latest official statistical data shows that the mean hourly wage for the country is $12.02. The mean annual physical therapy aide salary is $25,000. However, this does not mean that you cannot make more than this.
In general, the salary of an aide will depend on their experience, individual qualities and skills. There are external factors that affect the remuneration such as the type of employer and the location of the employment. According to statistics, there are aides that make as much as $34,000 a year and even more. Most employers offer social security and health insurance benefits.
How do you become a physical therapy aide? Formal training is usually not required. Licensure is also not required. You will need a high school diploma to meet the basic employment criteria. You will receive on the job training. Still, you must demonstrate qualities valued by employers in order to secure a position. You have to be physically fit, well organized, punctual, capable of following instructions strictly, communicative and motivated. You have to have genuine interest in the work as well.
Is it easy to find a physical therapy aide job? There are plenty of vacant positions available, but there is a lot of competition at the same time. That is why you must ensure that you are a competitive applicant. Applicants with highest chances of getting hired have some experience and some formal training. You should know that Texas, California, Florida, New Jersey and New York have the highest employment levels in this occupation. Hence, you have the highest chances of finding a job there.
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a physical therapist, but at the same time, you do not have the financial resources to undertake a formalized degree course at college, you can always go for the physical therapy assistant course instead, which is again a preferable option.
You will come across several individuals who have have been using this degree and qualification to enter physical therapy as a course, and after they become established, they go for the degree course. When finding a physical therapy school, you will need to look for a school which has been accredited, provides you with the required training and also adequate instructions which will be required to enter this profession.
You will only take two years in order to complete your physical therapist assistant degree or physical therapy assistant program which makes it a great option for most individuals. || Read more
Job Description of Both Careers
The demand of physical therapists and assistants has been quite high since the past many years now, and most individuals look forward to adopting physical therapy as a career. 
However, many get confused when choosing in between which one to opt for, whether they should go for the more professional and higher paying job of a proper physical therapist or the job of an assistant, for which they will be able to complete the qualifications required to become one in less time and in limited finances.
The job of a physical therapist is to evaluate the condition of the patient and develop a plan to treat him accordingly. He may also draft and perform the more complicated kind of therapies on his own, and in order to qualify for becoming one, he would need to undertake a masters or doctorate course for becoming a proper and qualified physical therapist in the relevant subjects. On the other hand, the job of a physical therapist assistant is to carry out and perform the treatment plan under the supervision of a physical therapist. A large number of routine therapies are usually carried out by the assistants themselves. || Read more
PTA (Physical Therapy Assistant) works as an assistant to Physical Therapist. He assists routine procedures performed day to day. He also takes care of patient treatment and care. Generally, physical tasks and modalities such as massaging the patients, patient rehabilitation exercises and carrying out ultrasound treatment.
Apart from these basic day to day tasks, they can also be asked to supervise physical therapy floor. They may be asked to ensure that the patients are actively following the directions. He can also make corrections to these directions if necessary. Physical therapy assistant can be assigned the jobs such as teaching patients how to use the assisted devices and walk using them and helping the patients recovering from serious accidents.
These duties are not a standard and can vary from workplace to workplace. Generally, they perform the following tasks at all the workplaces;
- To help the patients with walking, moving out of wheelchairs and other ambulation
- Using mechanical devices
- Assisting the physical rehabilitation routines
- Assisting with the documentation
- Helping the patients to move to the treatment areas || Read more
Individuals who work as a physical therapy assistant will find that their skills are in higher demand than any other time before. This is because physical therapy has been shown to help heal conditions that could not be healed before, and even enjoy a better range of motion. As such, many people are considering becoming a physical therapist to enjoy having a career where they have a lot of options and perhaps a nice salary to go along with it.
Becoming a physical therapist assistant is not as simple as applying for the job. Rather, one needs to complete a physical therapy assistant certification program. This is different than the programs that physical therapists have to go through, as the programs are much shorter in length. If you are interested in this career option you may be wondering just what your income would be like upon completion of the program.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of physical therapy assistant jobs in 2018 is going to be 35 per cent higher than the number of jobs in 2008. This means that now there are plenty of positions waiting to be taken by qualified professionals such as you. Use some practical advice on making your application stand out and on searching effectively for well paid positions. Eventually, you will get the job you have always wanted to have.
Ensure that you have all the necessary qualifications for meeting the general criteria for physical therapist assistant jobs. You must have completed an accredited physical therapy assistant program and hold an associate degree. It is best if you have passed the National Physical Therapy Exam so that you are eligible for licensure in most states.
There is not a specific demographic or age range that need physical therapy to be the best that they can be. Even young and healthy people such as professional athletes can suffer from injuries that can need physical therapy. Accidents take place, like vehicular ones that will cause injuries that lead to some form of disability for the unfortunate victim. Some individuals develop illnesses that cause disabilities or restrained movements and these must also be corrected. All of these issues call upon the skills of a physical therapist as well as a physical therapist assistant to provide patients with all of the care that they need.
The physical therapist will rely heavily on their assistants, assigning duties as needed. The physical therapy assistant may need to perform exercises, muscle manipulation, and hydrotherapy are examples of these treatment procedures that are designed by the therapist to help a patient get back his normal physical movement. The therapist will then instruct the assistant on the best therapy program to implement. It is not uncommon for physical therapy assistants to answer telephone calls, order supplies, along with other office-related tasks. The assistant may also be in charge of recording the progress of each patient so their care can be as specialized and unique as possible. The great salaries that these assistants are afforded is due to their varying schedule and tasks that they have to take on.
For those who want to work as a physical therapist, they will need to attend and graduate from a physical therapy assistant certification program. There are many associate’s degree programs to attend offered by both public and private colleges. For those who are worried about attending a public college, a private college is a great option because you will get a great education.
Certification programs are offered by many colleges, but you need to choose one that is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. These accredited programs are two years in length, assuming that you study full time. There are some programs that will allow for part time education, but not all of them.