The therapeutic benefits of water have been used for people’s wellness throughout history.
“Warm water melts muscle tension, increases range of movement, stimulates circulation, reduces swelling, soothes stress, eases pain, calms nerve sensitivity, decongests the respiratory tract, purifies pores and promotes sleep” Caroline Robertson wrote for the Wellbeing magazine.
The hydrotherapy pool at TCH was to be closed on 30 June 2019 however it will remain open until a report is undertaken into the options for hydrotherapy services in the south. The report is to finalised mid-August..
The Woden Valley and Weston Creek communities host an older demographic and people with the highest burden of chronic pain conditions. The hydrotherapy pool provides some relief from pain however the supply of services is not keeping pace with the increasing demand for services in the south of Canberra.
While we appreciate the new University of Canberra Hospital (UCH) will provide rehabilitation services for Canberra’s growing population, we believe that the demand for hydrotherapy services warrants the provision of two publicly funded facilities, in both the north and south of Canberra.
Access to facilities in Canberra’s south is constrained by existing users and cost. We are concerned about the capacity of the UCH to service the growing number of people in the south requiring hydrotherapy services.
Without the hydrotherapy pool at TCH, it is likely that clients will be asked to travel to the hydrotherapy pool at the UCH. Without a car, this will require significant time for community members with mobility issues to walk to bus stops and change buses to access the pool in Bruce. For those that need to take a taxi, access to services becomes very expensive.
While we talk about ‘A Fair Go’ we are leaving vulnerable members of our community with poor options for the management of their health.
Woden is centrally located on the main north-south and east-west public transport alignments making it accessible and an ideal location to locate facilities. Research shows that social inclusion is important to people’s health and wellbeing and basic facilities provide opportunities to build connections between people and develop relationships.
