Advanced Competency in Home Health Courses

The "core courses" lay the groundwork for the Advanced Competency program. There are five core courses in each track (PTA or PT). The assessment course is different for the Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant tracks, but the other 4 courses are the same.

Participants are required to complete the “Ethical Considerations” course for the program, but it is not a pre-requisite for the face-to-face course. The other 4 courses in the Core Course series are pre-requisites for the face-to-face course.

Core Courses

• Home Health Clinical Assessment (5 hours): PT track only, pre-requisite for face-to-face course
• Cardiopulmonary Assessment for the Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant (2 hours): PTA track only, pre-requisite for face-to-face course
• Medications & Pharmacology for the Home Health Therapist (5 hours): PT or PTA, pre-requisite for face-to-face course
• Home Health Regulation & Documentation (3 hours): PT or PTA, pre-requisite for face-to-face course
• Balance & Falls: Factors, Measurements, and Interventions for Home (5 hours): PT or PTA, pre-requisite for face-to-face course
• Ethical Considerations for Physical Therapists Practicing in the Home Health Setting (2 hours): PT or PTA, required for the Advanced Competency program, but not a pre-requisite for the face-to-face course

Save a BUNDLE

The above core courses are available in discounted bundles in the Learning Center for each track.

• Get the PT bundle
• Get the PTA bundle

If you prefer to register for the courses one at a time, the links for each course above will take you to the registration page for that course in the Learning Center.

2-Day Face-to-Face Course

The face-to-face course is offered annually as a pre-conference course at APTA's Combined Sections Meeting (CSM).

The Home Health Section sponsors additional stand-alone face-to-face courses on demand. Once scheduled, face-to-face courses are listed in the Home Health Section Calendar of Events.

Online Program Electives

PTAs enrolled in the Advanced Competency program are not required to complete elective courses for the initial certificate. Advanced Competency Physical Therapist Track participants must successfully complete a minimum of 4 hours of elective coursework to be eligible for the certificate. The electives may be completed at any time during the 24-month period of certificate eligibility. This list is updated as elective courses are added.

Online course registrants are not required to participate in the Advanced Competency program to complete and receive credit for these courses.

• Physical Therapy Interventions for Incontinence in the Home Care Setting (3 hours)
• Defining Dizziness: A Home Healthcare Approach to Vestibular Disorders (7 hours)
• Angina Pectoris: Treatment Implications for Home Health Physical Therapists (2 hours)
• Advanced Musculoskeletal Assessment for Physical Therapists in the Home Health Setting (6 hours)
• Chronic Disease Management for the Home Health Physical Therapist (2 hours)
• Integrating Physical Therapy into Home Palliative Care Services (2 hours)
• NEW: Neurology: Treating CVA,TBI, and MS in the Home Health Setting (2 hours)
• NEW: The "D" Words: Depression, Delirium, and Dementia in the Home Health Patient (2 hours)
• NEW: Nutritional Screening and Intervention for the Home Health Therapist (2 hours)

The online courses for the Advanced Competency in Home Health are offered in collaboration with the APTA Learning Center. Please note that APTA and the Home Health Section are separate organizations. Contact the Learning Center for technical support for the online courses.