How Physical Therapy Supports Comfort and Connection in Hospice Care

When a loved one enters hospice, families often hope for two things above all else: comfort and time together. At BridgingLife, our goal is to support both. We focus on easing symptoms, ensuring safety and helping patients stay connected to the people and routines that give their days meaning—whether care takes place at home, in assisted living or in one of our inpatient centers. Physical therapy is one way we help make that possible.  

BridgingLife is one of the only hospice programs in Maryland with a full-time physical therapist on staff. This means therapy can be added to a patient’s care plan as soon as it may make a meaningful difference in comfort, mobility or confidence.

Meet BridgingLife’s Full-Time Physical Therapist

Jennifer Carmichael, PT, has been caring for our community since 2000. She began her career in home care, assisting seniors and adults with disabilities. But as she started receiving more referrals to support patients with advanced illness, she realized how meaningful it was to help people move through that stage of life with dignity.  

“I felt like I had a calling to it,” she remembers.

In 2020, BridgingLife created a full-time hospice physical therapy position to support the growing need. Jennifer has been in the role ever since, helping families and their care teams understand when therapy may be helpful and what it can offer for each patient’s goals.

How Physical Therapy Helps Hospice Patients

Physical therapy in hospice looks different from traditional rehabilitation. Instead of focusing on long-term recovery, it centers on day-to-day steadiness and comfort. Every visit is shaped around what the patient feels able to do that day.

“I try to emphasize what patients can do versus what they can’t,” Jennifer says. “Big goals can always be broken into smaller and more manageable steps.”

Therapy commonly supports three important areas.

Comfort and Symptom Relief

Resting in one position more often can make it hard for patients to get truly comfortable. Muscles can tighten, and certain areas may start to feel tender or sore. For patients who avoid or cannot tolerate certain pain medications, physical therapy becomes an especially valuable part of symptom management. It offers gentle, hands-on ways to ease discomfort, such as:

• Stretching to reduce muscle tension
• Supportive positioning to relieve pressure on sensitive areas
• Light manual therapy to help soothe soreness, ease pain and calm anxiety

Safety and Fall Prevention

When changes in strength or balance make everyday movements feel uncertain, physical therapy helps patients adjust to new limits and move with greater confidence. It offers:

• Safer ways to sit, stand or change positions
• Guidance for bathing and showering
• Recommendations for walkers, shower chairs or other equipment
• Small home adjustments, like improving lighting or removing loose rugs

Mobility and Independence

Even brief moments of independence can help someone feel more like themselves. Physical therapy supports small but meaningful movements such as:

• Sitting up for meals
• Walking short distances with assistance
• Using the bathroom safely
• Enjoying a few minutes outdoors

How Physical Therapy Supports Families and Caregivers

Caring for someone in hospice can feel both meaningful and overwhelming. We know many families want to help but may not always feel confident doing so. Partnering with a physical therapist can give caregivers practical tools they can trust, both for everyday care and the unexpected moments that may arise.

Caregiver Education

During visits, Jennifer teaches techniques for helping someone move, bathe, reposition and rest comfortably. She also shows caregivers how to use equipment in ways that feel realistic for their home and routine.

Home Visit Recommendations

Sometimes, a few small adjustments can make the home safer for everyone. During home visits, Jennifer may suggest adding grab bars, switching to a curtain-style shower entry, improving lighting or placing small ramps over doorway ledges.

What Physical Therapy Makes Possible

Physical therapy cannot change a diagnosis, but it can help make meaningful moments more reachable. As Jennifer explains, “The focus is truly on quality of life—actually living the last months, weeks and days as much as possible.”

At BridgingLife, we’ve seen therapy help hospice patients attend a wedding or graduation, travel to visit family one last time and enjoy bucket-list experiences they feared might no longer be possible. Often, these moments don’t depend on physical strength—they depend on planning well and having the right support in place, from equipment to extra hands, so a patient can take part in something that matters to them.  

If You’re Exploring Hospice Options

Choosing hospice is an important decision, and it’s natural to want to understand every resource available. If you’d like to learn more about BridgingLife or how physical therapy supports comfort and connection during hospice care, our team is here to help.