A physical therapy aide is an ancillary healthcare professional who assists and works under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist (PT). Aides help set up the treatment area, gather and organize the necessary materials and equipment, prepare the patients for the physical therapy session, assist as requested during the session, and clean and organize the materials and equipment after the session. Typically, physical therapy aides do not directly perform physical therapy but perform ancillary tasks such as preparation, transporting patients, cleaning up, maintaining equipment and supplies, and performing clerical duties. They may assist patients onto exercises equipment and into treatment pools, assist with preparing hot and cold packs, monitoring and recording data during a treatment session with the physical therapist, position patients for treatment, and so forth. Physical therapy assistants perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations.