Innovative new smart equipment will be beneficial for patients going through rehabilitation for spinal cord injury at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre.
The Rehabilitation Centre is a campus of the Royal Adelaide Hospital, which provides clinical rehabilitation services for people suffering from traumatic brain injury, stroke, other neurological and medical disorders, spinal cord injury, orthopaedic conditions and amputations.
According to a recent press release, Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade explained that the addition of the state-of-the-art smart equipment will support patients to achieve their rehabilitation goals.
According to him, strength and fitness training are extremely important for patients undergoing spinal cord Injury rehabilitation.
Smart rehabilitation equipment
The HUR equipment utilised technology to support the rehabilitation journey.
It is specifically designed for rehabilitation using air resistance and smart technology to enable patients to set up their exercises independently by scanning their personalised wrist band.
It supports recovery and the ability to learn new physical skills required to return to everyday life and it allows for the monitoring of each patient’s program.
In addition, it also provides information about each patient’s rehabilitation progress, which guarantees high quality care and safety for patients.
Head of Unit for Spinal Cord Injury, Dr Ruth Marshall further explained that the equipment is wheelchair accessible and simple to use.
It supports patients to complete effective exercise training, and the information recorded has the potential to support future research programs.
The addition of this equipment and upgrades will help Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre (HRC) to be a global leader in Spinal Cord Injury rehabilitation and support patients into the future.
A not-for-profit community organisation that leads positive impact for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and the broader disability community gave a generous donation of AU$ 180,000 for the equipment.
According to the organisation’s CEO, the use of HUR equipment is a first for any spinal cord injury rehabilitation unit in Australia.
He added that they have seen the benefits of it used in other disability-friendly facilities interstate.
Other upgrades
The organisation’s donation was supported by AU$ 74,000 worth of upgrades to fit out the weights and conditioning room at HRC.
The upgrade to the facilities will significantly contribute to the rehabilitation experience and outcomes of spinal cord Injury patients.
Supporting upgrades to the facilities include new electronic doors to the court area and weights room, new flooring, upgraded bathrooms and infrastructure to support the smart equipment.
One of the themes of International Spinal Cord Injury Day this year is recreational activities and living life to the fullest, and the new additions to the gymnasium will help support the patients to do that.
When taking part in any recreational activity, whether wheelchair basketball or music, people are rewarded with better physical and mental health, improved social interaction and increased sense of wellbeing.
Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre provides care for around 90 inpatients with spinal cord Injury each year.
