Published by SESI Care Services · Updated August 2026 · 2-minute summary
Quick answer: Your physiotherapist writes the exercises; your job is to make them happen safely and regularly. Anchor each session to something you already do daily, set up a sturdy chair or bench, wear proper shoes, clear the floor, keep water nearby, and keep a simple tick sheet. Stop and call your physio if anything is sharp or new. Call 000 for chest pain, collapse or trouble breathing.
Key takeaways
- The physio sets the exercises, reps and sets — this guide covers the routine around them, not the prescription.
- Anchor sessions to existing habits (after breakfast, before the evening news) so they happen without willpower.
- Set-up matters more than effort: a solid chair or kitchen bench, shoes with grip, a clear dry floor and water within reach.
- Know the stop signs: sharp or new pain, dizziness, unusual breathlessness. Chest pain or collapse means 000.
- Support workers can supervise a physio-set program as an ordinary Core-funded daily living support.
- Track it simply — date, what you did, how it felt — and bring the sheet to the next review. Harder, heavier or longer is the physio’s call, never yours.
What should be in the written plan before you start?
A usable home program names each exercise, shows how to do it, says how often, and says what to do if something hurts. If yours is missing any of those, ask before the first session rather than guessing.
Most programs fall into three broad categories:
- Balance — standing tasks that challenge steadiness, usually holding a support.
- Strength — sit-to-stand movements, leg and arm work, sometimes with a band.
- Walking or endurance — short walks inside or around the block, built up over weeks.
Reps, sets and how hard to push are clinical decisions made for your body, so this guide does not list numbers. If the plan is hard to read, ask for a typed version or a short phone video. With in-home physiotherapy the program is set up in the room where you will actually do it — one of the main benefits of in-home physiotherapy for older adults. If you are still arranging therapy under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), start with our guide to accessing in-home allied health under the NDIS in Victoria.
How do you fit the program into a normal week?
Tie each session to a fixed point in the day that already happens, then protect it like an appointment. A program that depends on “finding time” soon fades. Anchors that work for many households:
- Balance exercises at the kitchen bench while the kettle boils or straight after breakfast.
- Sit-to-stands from the same chair at the ad break of a regular TV program.
- A short walk to the letterbox and back after lunch, building to the end of the street.
Take the rest days the plan gives you. Pick the time of day when you feel steadiest, and if a medication leaves you light-headed for a while, tell the physio so the timing can be adjusted.
How do you set up the space safely?
Treat set-up as the first exercise: the same checks every time.
| Check | What good looks like | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Support | A dining chair with a back and no wheels, or the kitchen bench, within arm’s reach | Something solid to hold if balance goes |
| Footwear | Enclosed shoes with a low heel and grippy sole, laces or velcro done up | Slippers, socks and bare feet slide on hard floors |
| Flooring | Dry, clear of rugs, cords, pet bowls and shoes; lights on | Loose mats and clutter are common trip points |
| Hydration | A glass of water on the bench before you start | Easy to forget once you are moving |
| Phone | Charged and in a pocket or on the chair, not across the room | Help is one call away if needed |
| Company | Someone home, or a check-in call arranged, for balance work | Balance exercises are where stumbles happen |
The Better Health Channel’s guide to preventing falls at home recommends low-heeled shoes with slip-resistant soles, secure mats and good lighting — the same points apply where you exercise. If an occupational therapist (OT) has assessed the home, ask which room is safest; our guide to daily living aids OTs recommend covers rails and other supports.
When should you stop, and who do you call?
Stop straight away if anything feels sharp, new or wrong, and call 000 for an emergency. A program should feel like effort, not injury.
Call 000 immediately if you or the person you support has:
- Chest pain, or pain spreading to the neck, jaw or arm
- Extreme breathlessness that does not settle with rest
- Collapse, fainting or confusion
- Signs of stroke — face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech
Stop the session and call the physio (or your GP if you cannot reach them) if you notice:
- Pain that is sharp, stabbing or in a joint rather than a muscle
- Pain that is new, or the usual ache getting clearly worse
- Dizziness or feeling faint, even if it passes
- Unusual tiredness, nausea or a racing heartbeat
- Swelling, bruising or a fall
The Better Health Channel’s exercise safety page lists chest pain, extreme breathlessness and a very rapid or irregular heartbeat as reasons to stop and seek medical help. It also advises drinking water before and during activity. Its physical activity for seniors page suggests seeing your doctor before a new routine if you have a chronic illness or have been inactive for a while.
Mild, dull muscle soreness a day or two later is normal when a program is new. Sharp, local pain that worsens with the movement is not. When in doubt, skip that exercise, keep the rest, and ask.
Can a support worker supervise the program?
Yes. Supervising or prompting a physio-set home program is a routine part of a support worker’s job. It is funded from your Core budget as assistance with daily life, not from therapy funding. What a support worker can do:
- Set up the space — chair in place, floor clear, shoes on, water poured.
- Prompt and sequence — read the sheet aloud, keep count, call the next exercise.
- Stand by for balance work — close enough to steady, without holding on unless the physio has shown them how.
- Watch for stop signs and end the session if any appear.
- Record the session and note anything unusual.
What a support worker should not do:
- Change, add or progress exercises.
- Apply hands-on treatment, stretching or massage.
- Decide that pain “is probably fine”.
The physio can show the support worker the program during a home visit — one reason to have them present for part of your first in-home allied health visit. SESI’s personal care and daily living support workers help with physio-set programs in homes across Victoria, and our occupational therapy and physiotherapy teams can brief them. Under aged care the split is the same: therapy under clinical care, prompting under independence supports — see funding allied health at home.
How do you track progress for the next review?
Keep one sheet on the fridge with a line per session, and bring it to the next appointment. Physios adjust programs on what actually happened. Record four things:
- Date and time
- Which parts you did — balance, strength, walk — ticked or crossed
- How it felt — easy, about right, hard, or a note about pain or dizziness
- Anything different — a fall, a sick day, a new medication, a bad night’s sleep
Over a few weeks this shows whether the plan is too easy, too hard or about right. It is also the evidence behind the progress report. That report matters: from 1 October 2026 the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is looking more closely at Capacity Building budgets including therapy (see our guide to the 2026 NDIS changes). Documented progress towards a goal is easier to keep funded. The same sheet makes a telehealth check-in between visits worthwhile.
What does a sample week look like?
A simple layout, not a prescription — your physio decides what goes in each slot and how often:
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday — balance at the bench after breakfast; short walk after lunch; support worker present.
- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday — strength from the chair at a TV ad break; family at home.
- Sunday — rest, or a gentle walk if feeling good.
A missed day is a missed day — do not double up to catch up. Tell the physio before dropping an exercise that feels pointless; it may be the one doing the most.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do more than the physio wrote if it feels easy?
No — tell the physio it feels easy and let them progress the program. An exercise that feels easy may be doing balance or control work that is not obvious, and adding reps or weight yourself can set you back.
Is it safe to do balance exercises alone?
Ask the physio. Many balance exercises are designed for a bench with both hands ready to grab and are fine alone once learned. Some are not. Until the physio says otherwise, do balance work when someone is home.
Does supervising my exercise program count as a support worker task under the NDIS?
Yes. Prompting and standing by for a physio-set program is everyday assistance with daily life, funded from Core. The support worker is not providing therapy, so it does not come from Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living.
What if I feel dizzy during a session?
Sit down straight away, hold the chair, and stop for the day. Tell the physio or your GP the same day, as dizziness can relate to blood pressure or medication. If it comes with chest pain or confusion, or does not settle, call 000.
How do I check a physio is registered?
Physiotherapists must be registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia through Ahpra; search the public register on the Ahpra website by name. SESI’s physiotherapists visit homes across Victoria — see getting a fast OT or physio referral.
Talk to SESI
If you want a physiotherapist to set up a home program in your own space, or a support worker to help it happen each week, tell us and we will call you back.
Tell us what’s going on: sesi.com.au/referral · Call: 1800 017 374
This guide is general information based on Better Health Channel (Victorian Department of Health) exercise safety, physical activity for seniors and falls-prevention guidance, and NDIS budget rules current at September 2026. It is not advice about your individual plan or health. Follow your physiotherapist’s instructions, call 000 in an emergency, and for plan questions contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
Ready to talk?
See how SESI can support you or someone you love.