Thuy Hoang
Physical therapist and clinic lead
- Physical Therapist · PA Lic. 000000
Thuy leads the clinic and meets many people at their first visit. She likes to start with what a person wants to be doing again, and she asks the family to join in.
Physical therapy for adults 65 and over
Staying steady, at your own pace
Banister is a Scranton clinic for balance, strength and walking. Our four physical therapists plan your care with you, and with the family who comes along.
Who is this for?
Where we meet
Come to us, or we come to you
Both start with the same physical therapists and the same plan of care. Choose what is easier for you, and change your mind later.
| At the clinic | At your home | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | At the clinicOur bright gym on Mulberry Street, with a level path to the door | At your homeYour own rooms, steps and floors, in the towns we serve |
| What we use | At the clinicParallel bars, a practice staircase, balance pads and room to walk | At your homeYour own chairs, stairs and rugs, plus what we carry in |
| Who it suits | At the clinicPeople who can get out and like having others around | At your homePeople for whom a trip out is hard, or who worry about a certain room or step |
| Family | At the clinicA seat in the gym for whoever comes with you | At your homeFamily at home can watch, ask and learn the exercises |
Where we help
Four kinds of care
Medicare
Medicare, in plain words
Most people who come to us have Medicare. Here is how it works with physical therapy, without the jargon.
What Part B helps pay for
Medicare Part B can help pay for outpatient physical therapy when your therapist and your doctor agree it is needed. Your therapist writes the plan of care, and a physician or other qualified practitioner signs it.
What you pay
After the yearly Part B deductible, Medicare pays its share and you pay the rest, called coinsurance. A Medigap plan or a retiree plan may pay that share for you. We tell you which applies before your first visit.
If you have Medicare Advantage
These plans set their own rules, such as a referral or an approval before care starts. We call your plan first and tell you what we learn.
If you want care at home
Medicare Part B can cover outpatient PT at home if you are not getting home health at the same time. If a home health agency is already visiting you, tell us and we will explain what changes.
Your first visit
What happens on the first day
It takes about an hour. Bring someone along if you would like.
- 01
Step 1: We talk
What brought you in, what worries you, and what you want to be doing again.
- 02
Step 2: We watch you move
You stand, rise from a chair, walk and turn. A therapist stays right beside you.
- 03
Step 3: We plan together
We explain what we found in plain words and agree on the plan with you.
- 04
Step 4: You leave with a page
Your first exercises, written large, for you and for whoever helps at home.
Coming with someone?
Directions, parking and what to bring
If you are bringing a parent or a spouse, here are the three things you will want to know before you set out.
Directions
How to find the door from the interstate and from downtown.
Parking
Where to leave the car, and where to drop someone at the door.
What to bring
Cards, glasses, shoes and the walker or cane used every day.
The four physical therapists
You see one of them every time. They write your plan, and they carry it out with you.
Pauline Ashford
Physical therapist
- Physical Therapist · PA Lic. 000000
Pauline works on strength and walking, and on getting up from a chair or a car with less effort. She writes every home exercise in large print.
Minoru Sato
Physical therapist
- Physical Therapist · PA Lic. 000000
Minoru sees people after a joint replacement and people who live with Parkinson's. He works closely with their surgeons and neurologists when they ask him to.
Altagracia Palacios
Physical therapist
- Physical Therapist · PA Lic. 000000
Altagracia makes the home visits. She looks at the rooms and steps a person uses every day, and she shows the family how to help.
Patients and families
What it is like to come in
“They talked to me, not over me. My daughter came to the first visit and asked everything she wanted.”
Ellen P.Patient
“Someone stayed beside me the whole time, and nobody hurried me.”
Ralph D.Patient
“The front desk explained Medicare better than my own paperwork did. I knew what to expect before we walked in.”
Sally M.Daughter of a patient
Sample reviews.
Questions people ask first
Do I need a referral?
In Pennsylvania, you can start with an evaluation by a physical therapist without a referral. Your plan may still ask for one, and Medicare needs a physician or other practitioner to sign your plan of care. Call us and we will check yours.
Do you take Medicare?
Yes. We also bill many other kinds of plans. The front desk checks your coverage and calls you before your first visit.
Can my daughter or son come with me?
Yes, please. There is a seat for them in the gym, and we show them the exercises if you would like.
What if I can't get to the clinic?
We make visits at home in the towns around Scranton. Ask the front desk whether yours is on the list.
Will it hurt?
We work within what you can do, and you can stop whenever you like. Tell us how it feels at every step.
Book a first visit
Choose a time on our scheduling page. Prefer to talk first? Call the front desk and someone will help you, or book for a parent.
Phone(570) 555-0102
Hours
- Monday – ThursdayToday
- 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- FridayToday
- 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Saturday – SundayToday
- Closed