A new chair lift hoist for the indoor swimming pool at Stawell Leisure Centre has been installed.
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Stawell Regional Health (SRH) successfully applied for a $14,000 grant from the Department of Health to purchase the hoist following an initial recommendation by the Family and Relatives Committee at Macpherson Smith Nursing Home.
The mobile hoist helps people with restricted mobility access the spa and indoor and outdoor swimming pools. It replaces the former sling model which was 10 years old and could only be used at the indoor pool area.
"The new hoist is fantastic and we've had positive reports from users," Northern Grampians Shire Council's co-ordinator of Leisure Services Marc Brilliant said.
"It can turn 360 degrees and is able to lower users right to the bottom of the pool floor, which is a big improvement on the previous one."
President of the Family and Relatives Committee at Macpherson Smith Nursing Home, Ken Stewart said he was thrilled to see the chair hoist installed after more than three years of planning.
"Initially the committee wanted a better chair hoist for nursing home residents who come here for water therapy," Mr Stewart said.
"With Eventide Homes and Skene Street Primary School also using it, as well as people undergoing water therapy for rehabilitation, we are really pleased that the broader community can get good use out of it. We'd like to thank Stawell Regional Health for working hard to secure the funding and council for their support."
Northern Grampian Shire Council funded the new installation points that were needed to use the pool hoist, and a cover to protect it when not in use.
Council will also cover the operational and ongoing maintenance costs.