Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy increasingly in demand

In particular, people in need of care benefit from the remedies therapies
Older people are increasingly receiving physiotherapeutic, ergotherapeutic and speech therapy treatments, according to one of the key findings of the 2015 Remedies Report of the Scientific Institute of the AOK (WIdO). The treatment spectrum of older people reflects the increasing health burdens of old age, the WIdO comments on the results.

Physiotherapeutic, ergo and speech therapy measures were, according to the current report, increasingly used by older insured persons. "Of the more than 7.7 million AOK insured persons over the age of 60, 28.6 percent received at least one remedy treatment in 2014." According to the WIdO, patients in particular would benefit from physiotherapy, speech and occupational therapy, according to the AOK.

In particular, physiotherapy determines the measures from the field of remedies. (Image: Adam Gregor / fotolia.com)

High proportion of remedial treatments for people in need of care
In old age, self-employment is often severely limited by illness and sometimes even the language has to be re-learned. Physiotherapies, ergotherapies or speech therapies can be helpful here. This is also reflected in the numbers of the Remedy Report 2015. "Almost every third of the over 60-year old AOK insured in Germany used one of these therapies in 2014," reports the AOK. In particular, people in need of care between the ages of 60 and 64 would benefit from this, according to the deputy managing director of WIdO, Helmut Schröder. "In 2014, each of them received on average more than 27 remedial treatments. That's six times more than non-dependent people of the same age, "explains Schröder.

Elderly insured people receive most of the healing therapies
Basically, the drug therapies are significantly more often used by insured persons over the age of 60 years as compared to younger insured. While on average 28.6 percent of elderly insured received appropriate treatment, the proportion was only 10.3 percent among children, adolescents and younger adults up to 20 years and 15.8 percent among adults between the ages of 20 and 59 years Percent, reports the Scientific Institute of the AOK.

Physiotherapy is most commonly prescribed
The report makes it clear that the treatments follow the specific health conditions, explains the AOK. This also explains the increased use of medicines for those in need of care. Of the AOK-insured persons over the age of 60, 42.3 percent receive remedy therapies, while those who are not in need of care receive 24.5 percent. Overall, the physiotherapeutic treatments in all age groups are decisive for the healing process. "Of all remedies, physiotherapy was most often prescribed," reports the AOK. According to the WIdO, physiotherapy accounted for 84.6% of all remedies prescribed by physicians, accounting for 36.9 million remedy benefits in the field of statutory health insurance (SHI), with physiotherapy accounting for the total cost of providing the remedy (Turnover of 5.77 billion euros) have been around 4.17 billion euros. (Fp)