Background
Many of the patients at Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Center arrive at the hospital because of brain injury. The reason for the injury can be car accidents, falls, violence, war, stroke, brain tumors, and more. One of the most significant consequences of a head injury may be the inability to communicate with the environment. All patients of the Intensive Care Unit for Consciousness Rehabilitation at Loewenstein, the only one of its kind in the country, have most severe brain damage.
In the early stages of hospitalization, these patients are unaware of themselves and their environment, and no communication is possible with them. Communication difficulties with patients of this ward and with patients suffering from severe head injuries in other wards are treated by the staff of the Department of Rehabilitation of Communication Disorders at Loewenstein, which is the leader in its field in the country.
The Need
The difficulty of “reaching” these patients, in the communication sense, hinders their progress in performing daily activities such as dressing, bathing, and eating, which were also harmed as a result of the head injury.
These are exacerbated by the patients’ feelings of helplessness and frustration for being unable to properly express their needs and desires.
EyeControl is an innovative system that makes it possible to establish verbal communication with patients using only eye responses to text voiced by the system. The system includes an camera placed in front of one of the patient’s eyes, earphones, a processing unit, and a speaker mounted on an arm, attached to a headband.
The text is determined by the staff according to the goals of the treatment and the patient’s daily routine, and it allows patients to express their desires and needs. Family members can also be involved in choosing the text, including playing music and transmitting any message that is important for them to convey to their loved ones.
The ability to repeat vocal stimuli allows staff members of the Intensive Care Unit for Consciousness Rehabilitation to work on responses, systematically monitor changes in patient performance, and assess the state of consciousness.
The Department of Rehabilitation of Communication Disorders can assist in the use of the system by diagnosing the patients’ level of verbal understanding, which benefits the entire multidisciplinary team in the therapeutic interaction with the patient. Purchasing two EyeControl systems will help us reach patients and provide the most advanced medical care for them.
Cost: NIS 14,300
Dedication option
As a token of appreciation of your donation, we will be happy to create a dedication plaque in your honor with the name indicated by you
Partners
Clalit Health Services
Israel Healthcare Foundation IHF
We will approach additional donors if necessary
