"I feel wonderful Wednesday to Friday," she says. "Although my pain is not totally gone, the physical symptoms are diminished and there's a sense of wellbeing."

Linda says her spirits rise as she works out in the warm water pool with her class. The 45-minute session includes gentle bending and movement, balancing, and flexing of joints. The atmosphere in the pool is collegial and welcoming, with lots of smiles and laughter.

"When I am away from it, I feel the pain a lot more. I get really anxious and start counting the days. The minute I am back in the water, it feels like heaven," says Linda. "This is not a luxury for me; it is necessity."

Linda is just one of hundreds who have come to depend on Grey Nuns Rehab Outreach Services to help them on the road to wellness. The program was piloted in 1998, as use of the therapeutic pool by hospital patients declined due to service changes on the site.

"The idea was to take this tremendous resource and make it available to people in the community—particularly those who needed a safe, supportive place to start exercising at their own level and progress at their own pace," says Co-ordinator Darlene Blischak. "We wanted to lower the barriers to exercising by opening our doors to adults with chronic pain or medical conditions."

In 2000, the program received a three-year $230,000 grant from the Province's Health Innovation Fund. Now offering seven activity streams—from yoga to massage to gentle exercise—the program is strong with attendance at 275 per week and over 1,000 class offered a year. Class fees cover the majority of program costs.

Participants come to manage arthritis, chronic pain, osteoporosis, stress, weight gain and other health issues. Most report significant improvement in pain level, emotional well being, and ability to perform daily activities. Almost half indicate they have greatly decreased their use of medications over time.

As the program has grown, it has also had a positive impact on the hospital—offering readily accessible ways for staff to relieve stress and making specialized massage services available to patients and their visitors in such areas as labour or palliative care.

"If you look at the legacy of the Sisters who began our work at Caritas, you can see their continuing influence in this program," says Darlene. "We're responding to needs, making wise use of resources and helping to turn hurt into hope."