Recent visitors to the popular hydrotherapy pool at Blue Mountains Hospital may have noticed the pool has had a facelift, but many of the improvements are behind the scenes.
The pool area was painted, the filtration system has been overhauled as well as tiles replaced, cleaned and re-grouted, said Head of Physiotherapy, Penny Lees.
“We have over 2000 visitors every month to the pool,” said Ms Lees. “The renovations will allow us to continue the service for many years to come.”
People who have had joint surgery or replacements and those with injuries or conditions which impair mobility are among those who regularly attend exercise sessions.
Ms Lees thanked the community for their patience while the pool was closed to allow for the works, which cost $50,000, to be completed.
This is the first major refurbishment since the pool opened in 2003.
The pool has a very efficient diatomaceous earth (DE) filter which can remove particles as small as a few microns – much smaller than can be seen by the naked eye. It uses ultraviolet light to help sterilise the water before it returns to the pool.
The pool is also heated to 34.5 degrees celsius, so it’s just as popular in winter said Ms Lees.
“Patients need a referral from their GP to access the hydrotherapy service, which begins with an assessment by one of our physiotherapists who can help set up an exercise program.
“Everyone starts off in supervised classes with some patients moving on to independent exercise classes.”
The pool is open from 7.30am-4pm every weekday and there are more than 20 supervised group exercise sessions each week.
Ms Lees encourages Blue Mountains residents to talk to their GP if they feel they may benefit from joining the classes at the hydrotherapy pool.