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WaterWellness FEB 2011 SPN
69
There is a real desire and demand to provide better services to those who are disabled or lack mobility but who want to enjoy pool and swimming facilities. Two key areas are access into the water through pool lifts and hoists and the provision of specially constructed and maintained hydrotherapy pools
specialist trade as it puts more and more emphasis on the wellness theme.
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A record number of hydrotherapy pools were built in the UK last year overtaking the record 1998 figure and more are being commissioned in the private and public health sector as the message of relaxation and recovery in warmer therapy pools becomes more accepted and in demand. Providing safer access to allow disabled people to use facilities in commercial pools is the second area of wellness which is a priority as less than half the local authorities in the UK offer disabled swimmers the use of a pool lift chair or hoist into the water. The figure for other commercial pools is expected to be even lower. Almost 15 years after the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act, the Government is set to look again at provisions set out in the regulations and how they apply to disabled swimmers.
Heritage Pools’ award winning hydrotherapy pools are built after working closely with therapists and nursing staff
isabled, less mobile swimmers and those looking for the therapeutic benefits of hydrotherapy pools are becoming a focus of attention in the
Hydrotherapy pools also have a special part to play in the benefits of water therapy. The specialist pools are based on three simple principles: heat, buoyancy and water movement. Heat dilates the blood vessels and increases circulation, speeding up the removal of metabolic waste. It also helps endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers, to work rapidly so muscles and joints that have been strained injured or stressed are relieved more quickly.
Since the body weighs 90% less when suspended in water, the effect of buoyancy is a simple physics issue. When specific gravity is reduced, pressure on the spine, muscle groups, ligaments and joints is significantly eased. Hydrotherapy is more than just relieving stress and stress-related conditions such as high blood pressure, headaches and chronic pain. Every part of the body can benefit, including the skeletal, respiratory, circulatory, neuromuscular and digestive systems.
Heritage Pools have won awards for their hydrotherapy pools and are an authority in
designing and installing pools for special needs users – winning the SPATA Gold Awards for installations at the Kingsley Special Needs School in Harrow and another in Worcester. “Each client has very different requirements depending on the disability of the users,” says Brian Andrews Managing Director of Heritage Pools. “We always work closely with the therapists and nursing staff to get a feel for the special requirements that are needed. Often we can suggest options that make their life a lot easier as well as a better experience for the patients. “When we begin designing hydrotherapy pools we consider the varying disabilities of the users according to age, size, difficulty of movement and the need for staff to supervise and assist in the therapy.”
The water in hydrotherapy pools is kept at a warmer temperature as users are often less mobile than standard pool users. The pools also require a slightly higher chemical dosing, both due to warmer temperatures and nature of use. For pool builders and managers the hydrotherapy pool offers different challenges. Water needs to be maintained at the higher level – between 34°C and 36°C and the pools often need gradual sloping access ramps and hoists for easy access to the water.
The specialist pools are the single best relaxation resource a hotel or leisure centre can provide for customers. A number of specialist pool design and construction companies have over the years developed a high expertise in the special needs of hydrotherapy pools. Cheshire Wellness has become award winning specialist suppliers for schools, local authorities and hotels and has developed expertise in the special demands the construction of hydrotherapy pools need. This year the company will design and construct the main pool and a separate hydrotherapy pool at a £40m new building ‘Building Schools for the Future’ project in Hull to replace two existing schools, which will be the largest school in the country when completed in August 2011.
By Alan Lewis
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