Hospital-based branches link in-patient care and home

Yad Sarah has 12 branches located within hospitals to make it easier for patients and families to borrow equipment upon discharge.  

In recent news reports, the issue of hospital overcrowding in Israel is heating up, with noted experts decrying the shift of responsibility for medical care from the government to non-governmental organizations.  This puts pressure on Yad Sarah and its hospital-based branches to help prepare people for a safe transition from in-patient care to home.  A successful transition leads to low rates of readmission, is more comfortable and healthier for the patient and family, and is more cost-effective for the state. 

Trained volunteers at Yad Sarah's branch at Rambam Medical Center have helped this branch to become an integral part of the discharge planning at Haifa’s largest regional medical center. “We [Yad Sarah] help people to get out of the hospital easier and faster,” explained volunteer branch manager Nurit Zinger. With a Lending Service on the hospital premises, “we shorten the process and we help the hospital to make the beds available and care for more people.”