Platinum Therapy Centre Case Study

The Full Story

Platinum Therapy Centre, an established day care centre for adults with physical disabilities and were looking to expand. As part of this expansion program they wanted to to have an indoor hydrotherapy pool and an underwater treadmill to improve their treatment options. With this in mind they turned to us to find out the best way to address these needs. James, a senior engineer at Westcoast Hydrotherapy visited their premises to find out exactly what was required and how they would fit in the building.

One of the most immediate challenges was the lack of a wide opening into the building, this would mean that the pool would have to be assembled on-site in the dedicated hydrotherapy room. It was also apparent that with the size of the pool that was required, there would not be space for an additional underwater treadmill in the crowded room. The building was also a rental premises, which meant that we could not make any structural changes to the building for an underground pool.

With the requirements clear and detailed measurements, Westcoast hydrotherapy designed an Eden Pool measuring 5.6 meters by 2.8 meters that was structurally designed to be positioned completely above ground. A galvanized steel framework was constructed to support the 50mm polypropylene panels and troughs were constructed in the base to provision for two under water treadmills within the pool itself. Double width steps and handrails both inside and outside of the pool provide excellent reassurance for patients and carer’s alike when entering and exiting the pool.

The two under water treadmills, have touch screen tablet controls positioned in front of the user to manage speed and distance along with dual controls on the outside of the pool for the Physiotherapist to monitor and adjust when necessary. Safety “kill cords” ensure the treadmill stops should the patient fall or stumble and the cord connection is broken. The pool also boasts an adjustable counter swim jet for people to swim against. Stainless steel water line hand rails and drop-down handrails on both sides of each treadmill provide additional safety features.

Platinum Therapy Centre loved the plans, so we moved onto the next stage, the building and installation of the Eden pool. This state-of-the-art Hydrotherapy Rehabilitation pool doesn’t end with the user benefits, there are very modern benefits for the pool maintenance person too. The built-in plant room was fitted with a standard plant and inline heater, but because of the multiple users and how busy they all were with taking care of the patients visiting the day care centre, especially in the Hydrotherapy Room. Platinum Care asked Westcoast if there was anyway of adding an auto dosing system and also a more economical way of heating the pool. We fitted a top of the range auto dosing system, that checks the sanitizer and pH levels and auto doses the correct amount of chemical to keep the pool water safe and balanced at all times.

Westcoast Hydrotherapy engineers have remote access to the pool plant and immediately receive a message from the plant room to advise of any potential problems. The engineers carry out remote backwashing and cleaning of the filter, this takes a lot of worry and stress away from the staff, so they can focus on their main tasks of the day and leaves the managing of the pool to the Westcoast engineers. Additionally we installed an Air Source heat pump, this keeps the running costs of the pool down and the original inline heater now functions as a backup heater, just in case!!

Platinum Therapy Centre are delighted with their Hydrotherapy Pool and many patients have benefited from regular visits to the centre.