The ideal physical therapist as perceived by the elderly patient

A 28-item Q sort was constructed and used to determine 1) the characteristics considered most descriptive of the ideal physical therapist by the elderly patient, 2) those considered most descriptive of the ideal physical therapist by the therapist, and 3) the relationship between the two ideals. Each of the 28 statements selected was descriptive of the therapist in one of four roles as a therapist, teacher, worker, or person. The results suggest a moderate degree of similarity between the ideal physical therapist as viewed by the elderly and by the practitioner. Both patients and therapists selected the role of the therapist as a therapist as most descriptive and the role as a worker as least descriptive. Although the elderly ranked teaching qualities higher than personal characteristics, therapists reversed this order. Limitations in interpreting these differences are discussed.