Occupational therapy is an allied health care profession that integrates a wide range of medical, social and behavioral fields in order to encourage people to participate, be involved and take part in significant work and activities as well as various positions.
This discipline responds to the needs of the entire population, regardless of whether the individual is in good health or ill, and throughout all stages of life - from birth to old age.
Professional occupational therapy work at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center focuses on treatment of people who due to disease, injury or other reasons do not take part in various activities that are significant and meaningful to them. The service includes diagnosis, assessment, treatment and instruction to help the patient improve their physical and cognitive abilities. Occupational therapists have the knowledge and professional tools to analyze the patient’s abilities and limitations, the requirements of the activity they want to engage in and the characteristics of the environment in which the activity takes place and to provide personalized comprehensive treatment to the patient and family.
Occupational therapy in the inpatient departments
Occupational therapy plays an integral role in the healing process of patients with various neurological and/or motor issues. As part of the work in the inpatient departments, the focus is on early identification and detection of functional, cognitive, motor and sensory decline, in order to begin treatment in the early stages, while tailoring treatment to the patient, reducing deterioration and improving quality of life.
The service is provided in the following departments:
In all areas of treatment in the inpatient departments, the therapists focus on improving the patient's function in activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, eating and continence. Additionally, occupational therapists create a discharge plan that includes a list of adaptations and education prior to discharge as well as recommendations for continued treatment in the community, if necessary.
Occupational therapy in the Pediatric Department
At the hospital, developmental and physical occupational therapy is also provided in the Pediatric Department. Developmental occupational therapists identify and act to prevent the negative implications of the hospitalized child’s disease on their normal development, to the extent possible. Physical occupational therapists will act to prevent complications in children with damage to the upper torso and treat children who are burn victims.
Occupational therapy in the Child Development Institute
Occupational therapists at the Child Development Institute treat children with motor, cognitive, sensory and communication difficulties, from the time of birth and through the age of nine. The occupational therapists specialize in identifying the factors that are delaying the normal development of the children and provide solutions to a range of issues that impact on how they function and participate at home, in childcare settings, at school and among other children. The service, for example, treats children with developmental coordination disorder, difficulties with fine motor skills, difficulty performing activities of daily living independently such as dressing and bathing, problems eating or participating in games and leisure activities, learning difficulties, ADHD, children on the autism spectrum and various disorders.
In the institute there is also a Pediatric Brace Clinic. The service is provided to children with cerebral palsy or other neurological impairments. The service includes assessment and development of a personalized brace for the child to maintain proper positioning to encourage function of the upper torso. Additionally, parents are instructed on proper and safe use of the brace and continued motor exercise in order to prevent secondary harm to the adjacent joints.
Remote developmental instruction for parents of premature infants and newborns
This service is designed for parents of premature infants and newborns who have been discharged from the NICU. The service enables remote instruction by an occupational therapist, who specializes in child development, on a variety of developmental issues such as eating, sleeping, playing and sensation. As part of the instruction, the parents of the baby can ask questions and receive personal guidance that is tailored and adapted for their child's needs - anywhere, maintaining complete medical confidentiality and without having to come in to the hospital.
To come to the clinic, you will need a referral form for remote individual occupational therapy - child development. Treatment code: L9533.
Occupational therapy at the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic
A service provided at the hospital’s Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Clinic. As part of the occupational therapy service in the clinic, a cognitive and functional assessment process is performed for each new patient and later as part of the routine medical follow-up. Using this assessment, therapy recommendations are made to strengthen the areas that require improvement.
Occupational therapy in the NICU
Right from birth, occupational therapy can help the cognitive development of preterm infants, babies born with low birth weights, or those with a disease or a type of defect. The occupational therapists in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Hillel Yaffe work to alleviate the stress to which the preterm infant is exposed, which helps the development and growth of the brain. In the instruction provided to parents and the staff, they convey the principles of providing appropriate stimulation for the preterm infant and newborn, ensuring proper positioning to encourage regulation and development, encourage the early bond between the parent and preterm infant, controlling sleep-wake cycles and handling eating and feeding. Additionally, recommendations are provided on how to adapt the home environment before discharge.
Occupational therapy at the Preterm Infant Follow-up Clinic at the Child Development Institute
As the next step following occupational therapy in the NICU, the occupational therapists provide consults as part of the multidisciplinary follow-up clinic at the Child Development Institute. The participation of the occupational therapists in the clinic enables early detection and appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic response to preterm infants that are at risk of various types of developmental issues.
Occupational therapy in mental health
Occupational therapy has a major impact on patients with a wide range of psychiatric disorders. The occupational therapists help restore the patient's ability to function independently and participate in significant activities in their lives as well as facilitate their wellbeing and sense of competence. As part of the service provided at the hospital, there are diverse therapeutic groups and direct contact is made with professionals in the community in order to maintain continuity of care following discharge. | 
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