Role of Social Work in Palliative Care

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Role of Social Work in Palliative Care
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INTRODUCTION

• The role of social work is to assess service
  users (patient, family member, friend, carer),
  emotional, social, practical and financial/legal
  needs
• Then offer appropriate intervention to meet those
  needs
• The main areas of social work are assessment,
  intervention, bereavement and discharge

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Assessment

• Emotional
• Social
• Practical
• Financial

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• The emphasis of assessment is building a
  relationship between social worker, service,
  wider services ie speech and language therapy,
  O/T, physio,CNS, DN and service user enabling the
  service user to talk about the issues that are
  important to them. Assessment should be a
  continuous service not a one off piece of work

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Intervention

• Issues Identified
• Coping with change/ and loss
• Family support
• Personal relationships
• Medical issues
• Welfare benefits
• Employment
• Financial and legal matters
• Housing
• Leisure
• Linking service users together

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Bereavement

• One to one bereavement support
• Bereavement Groups when needed
• Childrens groups MC in partnership with Sue
  Ryder Hospice when needed
• Memory days run 3 x yearly at MC hospice.
  Monthly drop in session at Sue Ryder
• Annual Thanksgiving Service held at MC hospice in
  October
• Bereavement counselling-referrals can be made to
  other organisations ie Bradford Cancer Support as
  appropriate

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The Four Rs

• The Right provider
• The Right time
• Using the Right approach
• To achieve the Right outcome
• Determined by service users, professionals, their
  family, friends and carers
• Bibliography
• Palliative Care Social Work and Service Users
  Making Life Possible, Bereford, Adsheard Croft
  2006