Referring a patient to the Occupational Therapy department
- Occupational Therapy at RCH only accepts internal referrals from other RCH departments and wards.
- Referrals for inpatients, including After Hours service and outpatients are made via Electronic Medical Record (EMR) orders.
Occupational Therapists at RCH provide services across a wide range of specialised areas for inpatients and outpatients, and some home-based care.
Inpatient and outpatient services
Neurological conditions
Include infants, children and adolescents with disorders of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. This includes neurological, neurosurgical, neuromuscular or neuro-oncology conditions. Occupational Therapy assessment and intervention centres on difficulties in movement, sensation and perception, and cognition and how these impact a child’s daily life in terms of hand function, play, self-care activities, and participating at home, school or kinder.
Developmental conditions
Include infants, young children and their families who are at risk of, or who have been diagnosed with, a condition that may affect the development of their fine motor, self-care or play/perceptual skills. Occupational therapy assessment and intervention can support infants and children during their inpatient stay, as well as in outpatient assessment clinics.
Medical conditions
Include infants, children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with a temporary or permanent illness which affects their ability to participate in daily activities. This includes patients affected by cardiac, respiratory, oncology, and gastroenterological conditions.
Hand conditions
Hand therapy is provided to infants, children and adolescents who have an acquired or congenital hand condition. Specific hand therapy techniques are used to reduce and prevent contractures, optimise movement and minimise scars. With the involvement of the child's family, the aim is to maximise the child's hand function for participation in the important occupations of childhood.
Orthopaedic conditions
Include infants, children and adolescents who have an acquired or congenital orthopaedic conditions. Occupational therapists provide assessment and support to optimise safety during their hospital stay and for discharge home. This may include organising appropriate equipment.
Home based services
Complex Care Hub, Post-Acute Care and Hospital in the Home
Includes infants, children and adolescents under the care of these programs, and where support is primarily provided in the home.
There are also Occupational Therapists in the following RCH programs: