6.7.1 Short-term Gym-Pool Membership

The only circumstances under which an individual gym/pool membership could be considered, would be as a short-term (no more than 3 months), one-off activity under a psychosocial or vocational rehabilitation plan. 

The intention of providing initial, time-limited support to purchase a 3-month gym/pool membership through a psychosocial or vocational rehabilitation plan would be to provide clients with an opportunity to establish a pattern of exercise as part of learning to self-manage their ongoing health issues and reach their rehabilitation goals. This support may also help a person to introduce structure and positive routines back into their lives, build resilience and start to build work readiness or work fitness. 

There is no intention that the department will continue to pay for costs associated with ongoing gym/pool memberships. Rather, time-limited support provides an opportunity to provide targeted support to assist a client to overcome barriers to their rehabilitation. After the initial 3-month period, the client has the option to move to paying for their own membership if they choose to do so, or alternately to move to a home exercise program with simple equipment provided by the department. This approach would enable a client to continue to exercise and self-manage their health conditions at home, if they felt this was most suitable for their circumstances.  

Further information about home exercise equipment can be found in section 10.7.6 in this library. 

Rehabilitation Delegates should consider approaching an Injury Management Advisor before approving a gym/pool membership to ensure that these activities are suitable for the client's accepted conditions and will not create a risk of further injury.  

Support with travel costs 

The policy intention behind the gym/pool membership guidelines is that the department will provide short-term targeted support for a finite period, and that the client will then become self-sufficient in managing their own exercise routines. Therefore, as a general rule, if DVA is paying for a short-term membership as part of a rehabilitation plan, clients are expected to cover the costs of travelling to and from the gym or pool. If a DVA Rehabilitation Delegate is concerned that a different approach may be required because of the client’s individual needs and circumstances, they are encouraged to seek policy advice. Any policy advice received must be uploaded as an attachment to the client's R&C ISH case. 

Alternatively, if the client is undertaking an individually tailored program, supervised by a physiotherapist or EP, through their DVA Health Card, then the travel for treatment policy guidelines apply. These guidelines can be found in section 9.1.2 of the MRCA Policy Manual.