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Physio Gym

Posted By decembertn59

"Physio Gym"

About: Fiona Stanley Hospital / State Rehabilitation Service Outpatients Clinics

(as the patient),

I think the physio gym on the spinal ward of the state rehab service is amazing. It is so well equipped, but I feel that patients are far too restricted in their access to the gym. The gym is only open for 22 hours per week (approx 13% of the time) and patients are only allowed to enter the gym at their allocated time. This further limits me to a maximum of 7 hours per week in the gym, 1 hr on Mon/Wed/Fri and 2 hrs on Tue/Tur. 

The gym is such a good resource, and so important for our rehabilitation, that I feel it should not be so severely restricted. I think its incredible that I get a total of 7 hours of rehabilitation per week in what is supposed to be the state rehabilitation service. 

I think the gym should be open for at least a couple of hours on each day of the weekend so that motivated patients could complete their own training on a weekend. The hours during the week should also be relaxed so that patients can attend for more than 1 hour per day. I understand there would be an expense involved with this as a physio or AHA would need to be present when the gym is open, but surely I believe the savings in reducing the length of stay would outweigh this expense. 

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Responses

Response from Neil Doverty, Executive Director Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals Group, South Metropolitan Health Service 3 months ago
Neil Doverty
Executive Director Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals Group,
South Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 2/01/2025 at 1:57 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 2:13 PM

picture of Neil Doverty

Dear decembertn59,

Thank you for feedback on our gym facilities for the Spinal Cord Injury Unit in State Rehabilitation Service. We are very lucky to have such a resource to support our patient needs in this specialty.

It is great to hear your enthusiasm for improvement. We see rehabilitation as a 7 day a week process, but it does not require therapist led therapy sessions in a gym on each of these 7 days to be successful. Weekends are a time where patients can catch up with family and friends, and apply the strategies learnt during therapy sessions in day-to-day activities such showering and dressing in preparation for home environments. Additionally, it allows time for muscles to rest enabling natural healing and growth to occur.

Length of stay and patient outcomes data for the State Rehabilitation Service wards demonstrates excellent performance relative to other rehabilitation providers in Australia. We are proud of their work and there is no indication that the rehabilitation care they provide is delaying discharge for their patients.

Kind Regards,

Neil Doverty

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