Kelowna’s therapy pool users upset by changes, concerned over access

Kelowna General Hospital’s therapy pool is open again after several months of closure, but not everybody is pleased by the changes the health authority has introduced.

The pool, which opened on Thursday, will now be focusing primarily on acute patients who are post-surgery or post-injury, Donna Jansons, Interior Health Authority’s spokesperson, said.

“We realized that we’ve drifted away from the original intent of the pool,” she said.

“Once somebody has received our services that are post-surgical or post-injury, we’ll be transitioning them to a community recreation service based on an individual care plan.”

READ MORE: Concerns over closure of Kelowna’s therapeutic pool

The move has some pool users concerned they’ll be excluded from the water.

Until the pool closed a few months ago because of a broken hydraulic pump, Dave Okeson was there at least twice a week. He suffers from a degenerative spinal cord disease.

“While you’re in the pool, the relief is genuine. It does last,” he said.

The special pool has a floor that can be adjusted to different levels. It also has safety railings and water that is warmer than most pools.

“It’s mostly the lack of gravity and the extra heat that the pool at the hospital provides, just gives it a little bit more freedom to be able to learn how to walk again,” Okeson said.

After the pool closed, Okeson said he had to start taking more medication. At one point, he was up to 19 pills a day.

When he was using the pool, he sometimes needed half as many, he said.

READ MORE: Lethbridge woman credits swimming pool therapy in overcoming chronic pain

Jonathan Zimmerman is recovering from a hip impingement. He also started using more medication when the pool closed.

“The medications are just a Band-Aid. It’s a temporary solution to a bigger problem,” he said. “But the pool was the actual solution to the real problem.”

Both Okeson and Zimmerman are worried about the changes the health authority is introducing because they say community pools don’t meet their needs.

Often, there isn’t enough staff on hand to help with getting in or out of the water, Okeson added.

“They’re not at a rehabilitation centre, so there’s no physiotherapist. They’re not as hot,” he said.