Abstract
Background: Medicare recipients historically have been discharged from rehabilitation when progress plateaus. This improvement standard continues to shape episodic practice of physical therapy (PT). The Jimmo v Sebelius decision of 2013 has the potential to open physical therapist practice with the adoption of community-based maintenance PT into everyday practice.
Conclusion: Prevention and maintenance of function are supported by the American Physical Therapy Association. Evidence suggests that intervention over time combats frailty, reduces fall risk, improves functional outcomes, and prevents movement disability. Community-based maintenance PT as a method of moving from the episodic restorative model to a continuous paradigm of restoration, prevention, and maintenance is proposed.