Gene, 85
Told to prepare for hospice after cancer treatment. He sold his car and golf clubs.
Leg strength gave him choices again.
Strong legs. More choices. Greater independence.
For many older adults, independence is in the everyday things: getting up from a favorite chair, walking safely, getting to the bathroom, climbing stairs, getting in and out of the car, and doing what matters to them. When Medicare physical therapy ends or benefits are exhausted, the need to stay strong doesn't end. Tandem Strength & Balance® helps older adults continue building leg strength, balance, and confidence, because staying independent takes more than getting better. It takes staying strong.
Where families start
You may recognize your family here.
Here are some of the most common questions families ask us. See if one sounds like yours.
My father's Medicare physical therapy benefits are exhausted. What now?
- Why did physical therapy end when they aren't back to normal?
- My parent finished physical therapy, why are they declining so soon after?
- Why does Medicare physical therapy end, when my parent still needs help walking?
- If therapy didn't help before, why will it help now?
Will ongoing strength training help my parents stay active and engaged?
- Can adults get stronger in their 70s, 80s, 90s?
- The home exercises aren't working anymore - now what?
- Dad is relying on his walker more than he used to?
- What happens if my parent doesn't like to exercise?
Can strong legs enable my parent to stay longer at home? Or will strong legs delay assisted living?
- Can strong legs eliminate the necessity of getting a caregiver?
- How can I help my parents stay safe at home and keep living costs down?
- Is it safe for my parents to stay home, where they want to be, versus moving to an assisted living facility?
- Are there ways to reduce my dad's assisted living costs?
My mother has a major diagnosis. Can exercise help her quality of life?
- Can people with dementia still improve?
- Does everyone with Parkinson's end up in a wheelchair?
- Mom only had therapy for three months, can she still get better following her stroke?
- My parent had a medical episode a year ago, was doing better but now slipping. Will strength training really be helpful?
A word from a Tandem family
“My mom has been helped in so many ways by her Tandem Strength & Balance physical therapist. She is truly so much more than just a physical therapist; she is a friend, a psychologist and empathetic listener. Life is so much better with TSB.”
Kenzie P., daughter of a Tandem client
Real Families, Real Progress
What consistent leg-strength work looks like
Every journey is different, but they all have one thing in common: strong legs lead to a fuller life.
Millie, 87
Fell at home. Then told by nursing home staff, she’d be in a wheelchair forever.
Progress can require more time. And it’s so worth it.
Marilyn, 91
Still driving and seeing friends, but relying on her walker, and hating it.
She was willing to be challenged, and discovered she didn’t need her walker.
Lucy, 95
At 95, there was no major health event, but her world was getting smaller.
Age doesn’t have to mean doing less. But losing strength does.
In short
In short: Tandem Strength & Balance® is ongoing exercise with a physical therapist for older adults in the place they know best: their own home. Exercising in a familiar environment helps them feel more comfortable and confident while allowing our therapists to see how they move in everyday life.
For many families, the need becomes clear after a hospital stay. Therapy ends. Their parent comes home. And they’re still weaker than they were before. Medicare therapy may end. The need to keep getting stronger doesn’t. That’s the space Tandem was built to fill.
We help older adults get stronger, stay stronger and doing the things that matter the most to them.
Why Leg Strength Matters for Independence
Leg strength helps your parent stand up, walk to the mailbox, carry groceries, climb the stairs, and catch themselves when they wobble. You don’t notice leg strength when it’s there. You notice when it starts to go.
As strength declines, everyday things can become harder. A walker or more help around the house may become necessary, and activities that once came easily can start to feel out of reach.
Here’s the hopeful part: leg strength can be built and rebuilt. Older adults can continue building strength in their 80s and 90s through progressive strengthening.
Walking keeps you moving, but strength training is what helps build the leg strength needed for everyday life.
At Tandem Strength & Balance®, we specialize in progressive leg strengthening designed around what matters most to each person: getting up, walking, climbing stairs, and staying independent.
For more than 25 years, we’ve seen how stronger legs can change what a person is able to do.
Because leg strength isn’t just about exercise. It’s about staying independent, and having more choices for what comes next.
How It Works
Understand what’s getting harder, and what can be done
- Nicole comes to you for a free in-home assessment.As the owner of Tandem, Nicole personally meets with your loved one, sees how they’re moving, and listens to what has become difficult. She takes the time to understand what has changed and what they want to be able to do. No charge. No obligation.
- A clear understanding of what’s really going on, and what comes next.Nicole explains what is contributing to the limitations they’re experiencing, what needs to change, and where to start. Improvement happens in layers, so she breaks the process down step by step: what they’re working toward, what comes next, and the time it may take.
- How long we keep going.You decide the timeline, not the insurance company.
Founder led
Meet Nicole Rennie, PT
Nicole spent six years as a physical therapist in hospitals and nursing homes before founding Tandem Strength & Balance®. She kept seeing therapy stop while people still needed more strength to live the way they wanted. Families began asking, “What options do we have?”
Medicare physical therapy is an invaluable service, but it has limitations. I wanted to achieve a sustainable difference in someone's life; thus, Tandem Strength & Balance® was created.
Nicole Rennie, PT, founder and owner
REAL FAMILIES. REAL EXPERIENCES.
Besides helping my mom to maintain strength, Nicole has been instrumental in catching medical changes in both mom and dad. She made sure the medical staff had the right information and that we asked the right questions. We highly recommend TSB.
TSB is a service second to none and provides: outstanding quality and talented physical therapists, the highest level of interest and concern for the patient, encouragement to increase strength and mobility, ongoing patient communication and RESULTS.
Mom has received therapy 2-3x/week for 2 years. Her therapists know her and understand what motivates her. Little “wins” are celebrated and TSB even handled our FL trip details. So impressed with their professionalism and dedication.
Tandem works on the client's thinking. Many folks have self-talk that has them doubt their abilities. The therapist guides the client into more honest and realiztic self-talk that allows them to accomplish much more than they ever thought they could.
My mom has been helped in so many ways by her Tandem Strength & Balance physical therapist. She is truly so much more than just a physical therapist; she is a friend, a psychologist and empathetic listener. Life is so much better with TSB.
Tandem Strength & Balance is geared to continually encourage and challenge their client to reach new strength goals, keeping the individual's quality of life and mobility the best it can be, for as long as it can be.
Service area
Every county in the Twin Cities metro
Tandem Strength & Balance® serves Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties. Our physical therapists bring the strength work to your mom or dad, right at home.
Working with aging adults in all cities within the 7-county metro area Andover, Bloomington, Columbia Heights, Cottage Grove, Eagan, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Lake Elmo, Maple Plain, Maplewood, Minneapolis, New Brighton, Oakdale, Plymouth, Richfield, Robbinsdale, Roseville, St. Louis Park, St. Paul, Waconia, White Bear Lake and Woodbury.
Find your county or city
Every area below has its own page with local detail and answers to local questions.
Counties
Cities - Tandem Strength & Balance® works with aging adults in all cities throughout the seven-county metro area
Frequently asked
Questions families ask before they call
Straight answers to the questions Tandem hears most from adult children researching care for a parent.
My parent finished Medicare therapy. What happens now?
When Medicare therapy ends, your parent can still keep working on strength, balance, and everyday function.
Tandem Strength & Balance provides ongoing exercise with a physical therapist in your parent's home. There's no insurance timeline telling you when to stop. Your family decides how long your parent wants to continue.
If getting stronger can help your mom or dad keep doing more of what matters to them, Tandem is there to keep going.
Is it actually possible to get stronger at 80 or 90?
Yes. And we believe it's not just possible, it's essential.
Getting older doesn't mean your parent has to stop building strength. Older adults can continue to build muscle and improve leg strength well into their 80s and 90s.
Why does that matter? Because strong legs are the foundation for safe, independent mobility: getting out of a chair, climbing stairs, getting in and out of the car, and moving around the house.
Illness or a hospital stay can take strength away quickly. The more strength your parent has built, the more they have to draw from when life gets harder.
At Tandem, we don't believe in simply maintaining what someone can do today. We believe in continuing to build strength so they can keep doing what matters tomorrow.
What happens at the first visit?
The first visit is a free, in-home consultation with Nicole, Tandem's owner and a physical therapist.
Nicole comes to your parent's home, sees how they move in the place they live every day, and listens to what has become harder.
She'll tell you honestly whether she thinks Tandem can help. If it's a fit, she explains how the program works and what it costs.
You decide whether to continue. There's no insurance authorization, no set number of visits, and no long-term commitment.
Do you come to the house, or do we travel to a clinic?
Tandem comes to you. We exercise where your parent lives, whether that's a house, apartment, or assisted living community.
There's something different about exercising in a familiar environment. Your parent knows the space, feels more comfortable, and can build confidence as they get stronger and move more safely.
Tandem serves all seven Twin Cities metro counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.
My mother will exercise with a therapist but not with family. Is that normal?
Yes. We hear this from families all the time.
Exercise can be different when it comes from a physical therapist rather than a son or daughter. A therapist knows when to encourage, when to challenge, and when to give someone a little extra support. There's also a different dynamic when the person helping isn't part of the family.
It's not unusual for a parent who resists exercise with their family to work hard and stay engaged with their Tandem therapist.
Sometimes, having someone outside the family makes all the difference. Your role can stay what it should be: being their daughter or son, not their exercise coach.
Does using a walker mean my parent will always need one?
Not necessarily. Using a walker today doesn't mean your parent will always need one.
A walker can provide important support and safety while someone is weak or unsteady. At the same time, we want to understand why they need it and whether their strength and balance can improve.
With progressive leg-strength and balance exercise, older adults can become stronger, steadier, and more confident, and may eventually need less support.
A walker can be part of where someone is today. It doesn't have to define where they're going.
Next step
Let's talk about what your family is facing
A free in-home consultation with Nicole, Tandem's owner and a physical therapist. She'll see how your parent is doing, listen to what's become harder, and tell you honestly if Tandem can help.
No pressure. Just an honest conversation about what comes next.
Prefer to talk now? Call (952) 746-3222
Monday to Friday 7:30- 4pm