What a session looks like, and what a first visit costs
The first visit is a free in-home consultation with a licensed physical therapist, in the client's own home. The therapist evaluates how the person actually moves, says plainly whether Tandem can help, and explains the program and its cost before anything is scheduled. Sessions themselves are progressive resistance and balance training, not stretching.
Step one: the free in-home consultation
A licensed physical therapist comes to the house. Not a salesperson, and not a phone screen.
They watch how the person moves in their own space, which is information no clinic visit produces: the actual chair, the actual stairs, the actual doorway width. They ask what has become difficult and what the person most wants to be able to do again.
There is no charge and no obligation. If Tandem is not the right fit, that is what you are told.
Step two: a plain answer, and the cost, before anything is booked
If a program makes sense, the therapist explains what it would involve and what it costs on that same visit. Frequency is proposed based on the person's current strength, their medical picture and their goal, not sold as a fixed package.
Tandem is private pay. There is no insurance authorization step, no benefit period to burn and no coverage rule that will end the program on someone else's timetable. That is the trade: you are paying directly, and in exchange the clinical decision stays between the therapist and the family.
Step three: what actually happens in a session
Progressive resistance work for the legs and hips. Balance training, including recovery from being off balance. Functional rehearsal of the specific transfers that matter, and re-measurement so progress is visible.
It is training. The load goes up as the person gets stronger, because a load that does not increase stops producing change.
Sessions happen in the home, which means the stairs being trained are the stairs that matter and the therapist sees the environment the strength has to work in.
How progress is judged
By function, not by attendance. Standing from a chair without pushing off. Managing the stairs to a bedroom. Walking to the mailbox. Getting into a car unaided. Those are the measures that decide whether someone stays at home, so those are the measures used.
What to expect on the first visit
- About an hour, in the home, with a licensed physical therapist
- An evaluation of strength, balance, gait and the home environment
- A direct answer on whether Tandem can help this specific person
- The program and its cost explained before anything is scheduled
- No charge, and no obligation to proceed
Questions about first visits and cost
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.
Where Tandem works
Tandem Strength & Balance® serves all seven Twin Cities metro counties. Each area has its own page with local detail.
Counties
Cities - Tandem Strength & Balance® works with aging adults in all cities throughout the seven-county metro area
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