The Occupational Therapy Unit

Hadassha Fortinsky- Director, Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is one of the health professions, the purpose of which is to help people who experience cognitive, motor, sensory, or mental difficulties live as independently as possible within their home, family, and social environments.

The main role of occupational therapists is to help the patient and promote their ability to function independently in both basic daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating, and more complex activities such as financial management, leisure time, and household management. The ultimate goal of occupational therapy is to enable the patient to take an active part in daily life as a basis for their health, well-being, and quality of life.

Patients

In the Occupational Therapy Unit at Reuth Tel Aviv Rehabilitation Hospital, treatments are provided to people hospitalized in various departments: rehabilitation (young adults, middle-aged, and geriatric), complex nursing care, and ventilated patients ; also to those treated in day hospitalization settings, as well as ambulatory patients and private referrals. All occupational therapy treatments are personally tailored to the patient’s world, their important occupations, their life context, and their previous functions.

Treatments

The treatments provided within the Occupational Therapy Unit include:

Cognitive Rehabilitation: The goal of this treatment is to improve the patient’s cognitive abilities to enable their effective and meaningful participation in daily life.

Neurological Rehabilitation: This treatment aims to achieve both motor improvement and maximum independence in basic daily functions (BADL) such as eating, dressing, and bathing, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) such as financial management and meal preparation.

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: Treatment focuses on improving the function of patients after various spinal surgeries and injuries to enable them maximum independence according to the level of injury.

Orthopedic Rehabilitation: The aim of this treatment is to improve range of motion and strength, reduce pain, and enable the use of limbs in daily function.

Geriatric Rehabilitation: Promoting the functional ability of the elderly and maintaining their quality of life after an orthopedic or neurological injury, or due to functional decline due to age-related diseases.

Hand and Burn Rehabilitation: As part of the treatments, static and dynamic splints are custom-fitted to the patient, according to their condition. If necessary, pressure bandages and silicone sheets are used for optimal treatment.

Treatment for Children in Nursing Care: Treatment intended for children across a wide age range who are hospitalized long-term in complex nursing care situations, as well as ventilated children. Treatments are coordinated for each child: individual therapy to achieve developmental milestones, group therapies, splint customization, eating groups, and sensory stimulation.

Treatment for Patients with Low Levels of Consciousness: Therapeutic intervention focuses on comprehensive assessment and intervention. The purpose of the assessment is to identify responses that will enable communication. These responses are any voluntary physical movement that the patient can use to signal a positive or negative answer. In addition, sensory stimulation (touch, smell) is provided to encourage responses. There is also an adaptation of various technologies for patients to promote participation in leisure activities and preserve cognitive abilities.

Rehabilitation for Complex Nursing and Ventilated Patients: Intended for nursing patients dealing with severe motor and/or cognitive limitations. During treatment, a variety of cognitive, motor, and leisure activities are personally tailored for each patient, in individual or group settings, with the aim of improving quality of life and functional abilities.

Chronic Pain Rehabilitation: Reuth Tel Aviv Rehabilitation Hospital is a national center for the treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and other pain syndromes. Treatment is carried out within a multidisciplinary framework, after a comprehensive assessment aimed at identifying factors that promote function and participation and factors that inhibit performance such as limitations in movement and strength, touch sensitivity, fear of movement, etc.. Treatment methods are diverse, but all have one overarching goal: to encourage participation in daily life and provide tools for coping with pain.

Research and academic activities

The Occupational Therapy Occupation Department is recognized as a training center for occupational therapy students from all universities and colleges in Israel. The department staff participates in numerous research studies within their areas of therapeutic focus.

Therapeutic Occupation Department

The Therapeutic Occupation Department is part of the Occupational Therapy Unit. The department focuses on engaging patients and strives to create a quality leisure environment for each patient, personally tailored to their needs, abilities, and limitations. The purpose of the activities is to preserve and even establish motor, social, and emotional functions that contribute to the patients’ well-being and quality of life.

Patients

The Therapeutic Occupation Department provides dedicated care to all patients hospitalized in the various departments of the hospital (complex nursing, rehabilitation, respiratory rehabilitation, day hospitalization).

For patients hospitalized in the rehabilitation departments, the Therapeutic Occupation Department serves as a leverage point during times of crisis. Here, they can acquire new skills and hobbies that are intended to serve them even after they are discharged from the hospital and return home.

Activities

The department offers patients a wide range of activities, such as: painting, sculpting, embroidery, cooking and baking, music, jewelry making, computers, and current events. Each patient can choose their favorite activities, and the staff adapts tools and assistive devices to enable them to engage in their chosen field. In addition, the department organizes special activities for Israeli holidays. Therapeutic Occupation activities are conducted in the various departments individually and/or in groups. There are also activities in the therapeutic employment hall open to all hospital patients.

The Staff

Staff members regularly update themselves regarding innovations in the field of therapeutic employment and participate in conferences, study days, and professional development courses

Ergonomy for those working with computers