1902 – Risk/Liability Essentials for Aquatic Rehab

Beginner / Symposium 1-hour Lecture

Sanibel, FL / Wednesday, June 30, 2010 – 3:00-4:00 pm – 1.0 credit hour equal to 1.0 CEC/.1 CEU

(Classroom: 3:00-4:00 pm)

Faculty: Mary Wykle, PhD, ATRIC

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The aquatic physical therapist has a primary responsibility for understanding the liability issues and taking responsibility for risk management in their aquatic practice setting. Many aquatic therapy practitioners have no safety or lifeguard training and work only one-on-one in a solitary setting. The therapist that is the aquatic therapy provider (in consultation with the department head) has the final say on accepting patients into aquatic treatment as it may be determined that aquatic therapy is not appropriate at this time. Therapists must follow the Standard of Care and Scope of Practice as it applies to their qualifications. Scope of Competency dictates that instructors must not go beyond their certification training. Diagnoses with increased liability concerns include chronic and neurologic illnesses, orthopedic traumas, oxygen/catheter users, and other contraindicated conditions.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1) List and define contraindicated conditions for aquatic therapy.

a) Discuss diagnoses and health risks with increased liability concerns.

b) Identify common medical conditions and emergencies seen in aquatic exercise and proper response, monitoring, and modifications to programming.

2) Evaluate high-risk areas in the pool environment to include locker room, deck, pool access/exit with basic assists and responses to emergency situations.

3) Examine safety standards applicable to aquatic therapy and adaptation and relationship to lifeguard basics.

4) Describe the impact of water and air quality on programming.

5) Determine the importance of Emergency Action Plans to include Recreational Water Illness response.

FACULTY: Mary O. Wykle, PhD, ATRIC, is a professor of physical education at Northern Virginia Community College. She holds multiple certifications in aquatics and fitness. Her company, MW Associates, offers consulting workshops in health and aquatics. Mary is a long-time faculty member and serves on varied committees for ATRI, AEA/IAFC, and WAHC. She is the author of Risk Awareness and Safety Training, the Aqua Pi-Yo-Chi™ course, and the Lumbar Stabilization Exercises DVD.