Mick Finney is a firm believer that laughter is the best medicine. For the past six years, the physiotherapy assistant has been dressing as an elf as a way of providing some Christmas cheer to participants of the Launceston Lung Boosters program.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The community-based, pulmonary rehab program is available to anyone in Northern Tasmania with a diagnosed lung condition looking to exercise and better manage their condition.
For Mr Finney, who is part of the Northern Integrated Care Services's cardiac pulmonary team, exercise is very important - but so is laughing.
"My main role here is just to assist the physios and the patients. But I also want to have some fun with them," he said.
"I bring out the microphone, I get up and dance and sing with them. I have a lung condition myself, so I know how these guys feel. It's really important to exercise, but it's just as important to have fun with it as well."
IN OTHER NEWS:
The weekly program offers exercise and education aimed at managing lung conditions and improving outcomes. Physiotherapist Kate Sullivan said the benefits for patients went far beyond physical health.
"It's a multidisciplinary effort. So we're here from the physio department doing the exercise-type things, but we have other allied health - speech pathologists, dietitians, respiratory nurses, respiratory consultants come in and contribute to the education," she said.
"One of the main benefits is symptom control. The program helps people manage breathlessness, so it improves their capacity for exercise and hopefully, it helps people stay out of hospital."
Mr Finney said for many of the participants, the program also served as one of their main opportunities to socialise.
In what has been a difficult year, he said there had never been a more important time to inspire and motivate people to stay healthy.
"We have had a horrible year and we do have a lot of respiratory patients. So it's great they can come out and exercise with us, in a controlled environment. If I can put a smile on their face and make them happy, then I'm happy," he said.
Sign up to one of our newsletters: