Therapeutic Benefits of Pool Mosaics for Handicapped Individuals and Caregivers

There is a reason pools are used in therapeutic settings, and there is every reason to incorporate pool mosaics.

Not everyone is born handicapped. In fact, we are no longer encouraged to use the word “handicapped” – nowadays the word “challenged” is preferred. Perhaps there are more opportunities now than there were years ago, or perhaps we have grown into acceptance. Either way, some individuals are faced with redefining their world.

Imagine this. There was a time when you took your shower, dressed unassisted, cooked breakfast for your family, walked to the car, and drove to work.

But that was before you slipped and fell on the kitchen floor, shattered your femur, and wound up in an ambulance, headed for emergency surgery. The doctor told your spouse that the chances of you walking again were 50/50.

Life turns on a dime, they say. One day you propel on your own. Then, without warning, your life is fractured. The following two months consist of physical therapy sessions designed to build strength and endurance while you fight to get your life back.

This is what being handicapped looks like. As much as you grieve for what’s left of your former self, you grieve for your loved ones, too. They are now caregivers, and their lives look different than they did before. Along with you, they are in search of a new normal as they learn new ways to help you live.

Now imagine how different life would look if you had a pool. Imagine the cool, clear water flowing over your body as you float your way to recovery.

There are countless therapeutic benefits to owning a pool, especially for a person who is handicapped or injured.

Water changes everything. It is the whole of life. Water is where our existence begins.

Healing – When you are handicapped, you have restricted movement. However, in the water, your limbs are energized with freedom of movement. It’s like part of you comes alive.

Hope – Low-impact aerobics are an extraordinary way to exercise. Because the impact is removed, a person is more likely to stay engaged longer. You may not be able to walk across the concrete, but in the water you become weightless. Even President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took advantage of the Warm Springs. Think of the hope you’ll feel when you realize you can walk in the water!

Socialization – Caregivers share a common problem with handicapped individuals: both parties are under enormous stress. Those who are handicapped often feel disconnected, as if life has gone on without them. Surprisingly, caregivers experience this same sensation. It’s like their life stops until they can move again.

Swimming creates opportunities to move. It creates an arena to socialize with others and is a natural stress-reliever. It also lightens the mood.

Removal of Barriers – An individual who is handicapped has the added worry that they are a burden to their caregiver. Whether the caregiver thinks their significant other is a burden or not doesn’t matter, because there is no amount of reconciliation for the sacrifice made by the caregiver. If they are not careful, a once-enjoyable relationship becomes one-sided, where the focus is on one helping the other.

Suffice it to say that they must find ways to lighten the load so they can maintain a healthy relationship. Getting into a pool together is a way to laugh and let loose. By the very nature of weightless engagement, a pool can add some lighthearted fun to an otherwise unfortunate situation while providing privacy, convenience, and healing.

Of course, at Blue Water Pool Mosaics, any of our designs can be added to your pool; however, the following are our picks to promote wellbeing:

Crystal Sky Mandala

Mosaics offer aesthetic benefits to your pool. Visualize yourself surrounded by the beauty of a Crystal Sky Mandala that represents the universe. It may be a foreign concept for a person who has not been injured to identify with the need for this type of mosaic, but if you consider how a person relates to others, you will see that we all identify with being “part of” the larger circle.

Nothing could be more appropriate for handicapped individuals than a Crystal Sky Mandala. The color blue offers feelings of peace and tranquility, so the Crystal Sky Mandala is a good choice to dress up your pool and brighten up the surroundings.

Tree of Life

Deep in the Celtic culture lives a tree that is known throughout the world as the sacred representation of life-giving presence by the Omnipotent God. With its reaching branches and roots, the tree of life symbolizes love. There’s no doubt about it: we all need love.

Growth and strength are two of the symbolizations of the tree of life, making this mosaic the perfect invigorating choice to include in a pool for a person who is in the process of healing. Where brokenness once lived, the water is instrumental in restoring a person to wholeness.

Zen Medallion

We’ve all heard the expression, “Find your center.” Who knows if it originated from the word “zen,” but it very well could have since zen represents the core. It is interesting that for the handicapped, what is needed is the connection of peace and tranquility for both brain and body.

What is fascinating about a zen medallion is that one color blends into the next. There is no abrupt color change, and at the very center is a small circle, representing the innermost part of everything. Including a zen mosaic adds comfort and beauty to any pool.

Blue Water Pool Mosaics has a host of mosaics to choose from. Give us a call today, and let us help you select just the right design to enhance your journey to wholeness.