At the 65+ Center for Active Aging, Dr. Matthew Corn is on a mission. Having founded his 5,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Venice in 2016, Dr. Corn draws on more than 20 years of therapy experience to help people maintain their wellness and physical capabilities as they age. A doctor of physical therapy and a board-certified geriatric physical therapist, Dr. Corn wants to change the nature of how older adults think about aging.
“Our population is rapidly aging,” Dr. Corn explains at the Center’s spacious therapy area and fitness circuit, busy with therapists working with patients.
Dr. Corn’s programs are part of a global initiative: Exercise is Medicine.
“By 2030, 1 in 4 Americans will live to be 90 years old or older,” Dr. Corn says. “We need to keep older adults as physically and socially active as possible so they can enjoy a high-quality life and lessen the strain on their families and the medical system.”
Dr. Corn’s wife, Lisa, a medical social worker, noticed that many older adults were losing their independence due to their declining physical abilities. She told Dr. Corn that there was a need for specialized assessments and programs to help this population. So, after 10 years as a general physical therapist, Dr. Corn returned to school, earning a doctorate and completing a residency at the National Institute of Health. While in training, he attended a seminar presented by Dr. Robert Butler, the founding director of the National Institute on Aging, who said, “If exercise could be packaged in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.” After that, everything clicked for Dr. Corn, and 65+ was born.
“We opened in 2016 and immediately had an incredible response from this community,” Dr. Corn says. “Physicians and patients sought us out because of our focus on slowing or halting age-related physical decline and not just rehabilitating a person after injury or illness.”
Dr. Corn starts with a comprehensive geriatric physical therapy assessment to pinpoint specific areas where he can most help his patients. His programs have led to patients avoiding falls, shortening hospital stays and continuing to live independently. Patients go through 24 performance tests that look at balance, strength, flexibility, aerobic and cognitive performance to assess weaknesses.
“If you address physical performance issues from a multi-faceted approach, you have a greater chance of making substantial gains,” Dr. Corn explains.
Patient-focused, Dr. Corn roams the facility monitoring client progress. Warm and personable, he treats each of his patients as an individual. 65+ is a medically oriented gym that includes top-of-the-line Keiser Air strength machines, which use pneumatic pressure to lessens stress on joints while maximizing peak power, a must for older adults. Dr. Corn is certified to operate a medical laser that is used for pain management and inflammation control. When patients finish their therapy, they can relax in a hydro-massage therapy chair to ease their stress and tension.
“My goal is to have people living independently and healthy into their 90s and beyond,” Dr. Corn says. “There is no physiological reason aside from disease or injury for people to physically decline before age 80. After 80, it does get tougher. I believe, starting at age 65, there is another 20 to 25 more years of high-quality life to be had if older adults work hard to halt or slow the decline that comes along with normal aging process.”
“My three oldest patients are 98, and they are all excited about the prospect of their 100-year birthday celebrations,” Dr. Corn says.
65+ Center for Active Aging is modern, clean and welcoming. Dr. Corn’s philosophies on aging are intelligently designed into the physical space, and he is always front and center when he and his staff interact with his patients.
1978 Tamiami Trail S, Suite 6, Venice, 941.451.6691, 65PlusWellness.com