A purpose-built facility giving people impacted by serious illnesses, injuries, and disabilities access to breakthrough technology
Friday 1 July 2022 – Sydney, Australia: Royal Rehab, Australia’s leading not-for-profit provider of rehabilitation and disability support services, is home to Australia’s largest Advanced Technology Centre, providing Australians with access to a comprehensive range of potentially life-changing technology, never-before-seen in one facility in Australia.
Royal Rehab’s Advanced Technology Centre falls under the Royal Rehab LifeWorks banner, and is a purpose-built hub designed to improve the rehabilitation outcomes of people impacted by life changing illnesses and/or injuries. The Centre also caters for people living with disabilities, by providing expert support and access to technologies that aim to improve function, strength and wellbeing.
The centre is the largest of its kind in Australia and is home to over 25 pieces of advanced technology, some of which have never been made available in Australia up to this point – like the C-MILL VR+ device.
The C-Mill VR+ technology combines a treadmill with body weight supports and virtual and augmented reality to improve balance, gait, and gait adaptability in a controlled environment. The device provides a safe and comfortable training environment that mimics the challenges of real-life, helping users to navigate situations like walking in crowded areas and avoiding obstacles.
The centre is also home to a Zero G Gait and Balance System, which has the longest walking track in the country. This device is a robotic body weight support that is designed to assist those affected by spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, neurological conditions and degenerative conditions to walk. The device allows falls prevention training to minimise patient risk, so they can focus on regaining their confidence in walking, balancing, climbing stairs and manoeuvring from sitting to standing positions.
Matt Mackay, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Rehab, believes technology can play a significant role in unlocking better patient outcomes and that the opening of Royal Rehab’s Advanced Technology Centre will make innovative technology more accessible to Australians.
“We know that the use of technology in combination with traditional therapies has the potential to drive better outcomes. This will revolutionise the rehabilitation pathway for many patients, which in turn can lead to dramatic changes in a person’s quality of life,” he said.
“Our Advanced Technology Centre provides Australians with the opportunity to access potentially life-changing devices, many of which have never been accessible in Australia until now. We are delighted to be able to provide patients access to emerging advanced technologies that has the potential to accelerate rehabilitation progress and help people to improve their function, mobility and strength,” said Mr Mackay.
“Similarly, we want to provide people living with a long-term disability access to these technologies, so they too can benefit from improved strength and fitness, and maintain or even improve their functional independence,” he said.
Royal Rehab therapists have completed comprehensive training to operate all 25 new devices which will be utilised in personalised rehabilitation programs.
Jason Redhead, Senior Physiotherapist and Technology Lead at Royal Rehab, says that the centre offers Australian patients exclusive access to advanced technologies that will provide greater opportunities to achieve their rehabilitation goals.
“We have seen that advanced technology is starting to play a leading role in rehabilitation programs in many other countries. We want to ensure Australians too can access the best technology, like robotic exoskeletons, body weight support systems, upper limb robotics and virtual reality technologies. It means we will see more patients achieve more in their rehabilitation goals,” said Redhead.
The opening of Royal Rehab’s Advanced Technology Centre further solidifies its commitment to being a centre of excellence that empowers people to regain their independence and improve their quality of life.
“It is our hope that the centre will empower people with disabilities and life changing illnesses and injuries with a newfound sense of independence and freedom,” said Mr Mackay.
The centre operates under the Royal Rehab LifeWorks banner, which provides Australians with access to a multidisciplinary team of allied health clinicians who work together with patients and clients on their individualised goals to develop integrated therapy and/or wellness programs.
Royal Rehab’s Advanced Technology Centre is located at their Ryde location and will open its doors on 1 July. Access to the centre is covered under a range of funding options, including NDIS, iCare, and self-funding.
