04/01/2026
RIVERSIDE THERAPY'S "SENIOR FITNESS TEST"
In 2023, the Senior Fitness Test was introduced at Riverside's Lifelong Health (LLH) facilities to provide a way of assessing the mobility of independent & assisted living residents to identify those at risk for decline.
Led by Georgina Bravo, DPT, GCS, this initiative was first launched at Patriots Colony at Williamsburg & later introduced to the other LLH facilities. Residents were encouraged to participate in the assessment days twice a year, which provided the therapists with data to assist in identifying those who were showing signs of decline in mobility.
In 2025, the American Physical Therapy Association Geriatrics section released new, evidenced-based recommendations for an Annual Mobility Assessment for older adults. This assessment looks at data such as leg strength, balance, agility, gait speed, and cognitive function to help identify older adults who are at an early stage of mobility limitation and at risk for further decline in function and falls. These identified individuals can then be referred to physical or occupational therapy to address the identified areas of impairment. Based on recommendations from Georgina, Riverside Therapy Group elected to adopt this new assessment, to utilize the best practice recommendations for mobility assessment of older adults.
The Annual Mobility Assessment has now been launched at both Patriots Colony at Williamsburg Assisted Living & Warwick Forest, with plans to introduce it to the other LLH facilities. Residents that have participated have provided positive feedback regarding the testing and individualized interpretation of their results. By providing the Annual Mobility Assessment to the residents of LLH, changes in mobility status can be identified early, and interventions can be provided to help maintain independence with functional mobility and reduce risk for falls.
