Setting up an occupational therapy room

Setting up the occupational therapy room was a big step forward for the Specialised Children's Rehabilitation Hospital – one we could take thanks to your financial support through Darujme deťom nádej.

Occupational therapy – treatment through activity – is based on the premise that people can improve the quality of their lives through work habits and activities. Its aim is to promote health and the overall physical and mental well-being of the individual, and to help develop their abilities and skills. Occupational therapy is used in many healthcare facilities, children's homes and integrated workplaces.

The occupational therapy room is an important part of rehabilitation at our hospital. Physical disabilities in children often include impaired fine motor skills of the hands. Patients with disabilities – at our hospital mainly children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) – improve their motor skills through occupational therapy. It takes a great deal of energy from the patients and their companions as well as from our staff.

Fine motor skills, which we train here, are very important for taking part in society. We support skills such as signing one's name or, even more basic, eating or getting dressed on one's own, and we literally teach them to children through play. Regular practice of fine motor skills under expert guidance brings significant improvements. Patients learn to grasp and handle objects and increase their grip strength – things that are completely ordinary for healthy people. For children with disabilities, this is a big step towards at least partial independence and better graphomotor skills, which makes it easier for them to take part in society.

Thanks to you, we have given children hope for a better life.