Consumers at Macquarie Hospital’s Parkview Unit are enjoying a new gym, courtyard and sensory room after the completion of capital works at the site.

The project, which was made possible with $500,000 from the Mental Health Therapeutic Environments Minor Capital Works Program, was officially capped off with a morning tea.

Chief Executive Deb Willcox joined Macquarie and Mental Health executive staff and consumers for the celebrations, test driving the new gym equipment and sensory room.

“It is really pleasing to see this project complete, I know how hard the staff here at Macquarie and within our mental health team worked to make it possible,” Deb said.

“These improvements are going to have very real impacts for consumers, from the new gym equipment that forms an important part of the Wellbeing Unit to the sensory room which will provide a new therapeutic space.”
 

Senior occupational therapist at Macquarie Kate Priddle said the new sensory room was an exciting addition to the campus.

“The use of sensory modulation in adult mental health settings is a rapid growth area with increasing evidence base to support its use as an effective therapeutic intervention,” she said.

“We’re taking the lead here in Parkview, enhancing the capacity of the whole multidisciplinary team to use sensory modulation in a person-centred, trauma-informed capacity for the wellbeing of our consumers who are experiencing distress.”

Senior exercise physiologist Kristine Grainger said the gym has been well received by consumers, carers and staff.

“Some days we have more than half the unit joining in the gym groups or using the equipment,” she said.

“Consumer feedback is that they really value having something so positive to engage in on the unit and enjoy the wide variety of equipment, exercise programs and expertise of the exercise physiologists and physiotherapist available to them.”