Gritman, don’t leave aging population out in the cold

One in five residents, 8,000 people, are age 60 or older in Latah County. According to Gritman Medical Center’s recent public survey, the health needs of these residents rank in the top three areas of priority. The need for preventative health care and senior services ranked 4 out of a possible score of 5 as needing support.

In that context, the recent notice from Gritman to users of the Ron and Janie Nirk Pool and Spa notifying them that the warm-water therapy facility located at the Martin Wellness Center would close Jan. 31 was met by profound dismay and despair. Closing will immediately and negatively affect the health and well-being of clients who rely on it to remain mobile and independent.

For them, the closing is devastating. Patrons use the facility to prepare and recover from knee, back and hip surgery, injuries, strokes, osteoarthritis, and a long list of other acute and compounding chronic conditions. The facility has safe access to a shallow warm-water exercise pool equipped with safety bars, a lift, a hydro-jet spa, specially designed showers, and highly qualified staff for oversight. Of particular importance to users with mobility concerns, the facility has a drop-off area and safe, accessible free parking.

Nothing like this pool is publicly available nearby. The closest comparable public facility is in Plummer in Benewah County. Pool patrons already come from as far away as Kendrick, Potlatch and Genesee to use the Nirk Pool, sometimes transported by caregivers.

The benefits of warm-water exercise are well established by the medical profession. Warm-water aquatic exercise is a low-impact activity that takes the pressure off the bones, joints and muscles. Water also offers natural resistance, which can help strengthen the muscles. The Mayo Clinic recommends aquatic exercise to improve heart health, reduce stress and improve endurance. It is particularly essential for those who cannot do weight-bearing exercise to stay active — in short, to live a full and active life.

But that’s not all. The therapy pool is a place where friendships are made and sustained over time — a remedy to loneliness, isolation and hopelessness that stalk aging populations. And Latah County’s populations are definitely aging. Their health needs are only going to grow.

Gritman is fully aware of these needs and the pool’s benefits. In 2007, after the tremendous efforts of pool patrons and a vote in Latah County, the county sold the former Latah Health Services facility to Gritman for $1. The sale included Gritman’s commitment to renovate the building and pool for health purposes. It was renamed the Gritman Community Wellness Center — now the Gritman Jeff and Becky Martin Community Wellness Center — and was extensively renovated with the generous support of donors. Gritman has fulfilled that commitment until now.

Gritman is uniquely qualified to provide these services as part of its own mission as a community not-for-profit hospital responsible to Latah citizens with tax-exempt status. Every three years, it is required to assess Latah’s health needs. Meeting the health needs of an aging population is clearly identified within its most recent report as a top priority.

The number of those who can benefit from water therapy will only increase as the population ages, but the pool is open to the public with physician approval for the purpose of water exercise. Patrons pay for use of the pool, showers and changing rooms.

While the pool is still fully operable, maintained and staffed, the building that houses it has structural defects needing attention. The Friends of the Ron and Janie Nirk Pool and Spa are asking Gritman to keep the pool open for use for at least six months while a building assessment can be made and the feasibility of partnering with other governmental and non-governmental organizations is pursued. At that time, it could be decided either to upgrade and maintain the existing facility or to create a more modern therapy complex at the current or another location.

Now is the time for the Board of Directors and Gritman to fulfill its mission statement “to work along with other area organizations and agencies to collaborate to bring the best each has to offer in order to support change and address the most pressing identified needs.” Reach out. Collaborate. Find partners, but do not leave aging citizens out in the cold.

Hart is a retired faculty member at the University of Idaho and grateful patron of the Nirk Pool and Spa. Nelson is a longstanding supporter of the nonprofit community groups and a self-interested promoter of providing services for aging citizens.