Social workers in hospitals are a huge help. Also known as medical social workers, they have many duties. These include providing resources to patients and making your time in the hospital smoother.
Being in the hospital is super stressful and frustrating, and social workers can help you manage your emotional chaos. So what do medical social workers do?
Coordinating Your Care
The most important role of a social worker in a hospital is to act as a care coordinator between the various professionals working on your case. You might have several healthcare workers across multiple departments, and your social worker will liaise between them and you.
While doctors are regularly inundated, a social worker in a hospital can give you more individualized attention. This makes sure that your personal needs are considered and your voice is given a platform.
A necessary part of the job is to keep track of all your admin – your charts, and any relevant forms. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, find out how to become a medical social worker.
Educating You
Being in a medical facility is incredibly overwhelming. Everything is frantic and so many technical terms and pieces of medical lingo are being thrown around.
A social worker can explain what the doctors are saying in much less complex terms to provide insight into your case. This can be especially helpful when it comes to social workers for children.
Understanding your condition is often hard and vexing. But, fortunately, your medical social worker is there to help explain it to you. This includes explaining the various treatment options and making sure you fully understand all of your varied choices.
Providing Advocacy For You
Your social worker will talk to you about what your doctor is saying, and they can also communicate your needs, desires, and concerns to the doctors.
Having someone with in-depth knowledge of the medical system to liaise with your doctors is a huge pro. The social worker understands the ways that hospitals function, and can communicate your requirements explicitly to the doctors with utmost ease.
This also applies if you are choosing to not proceed with a certain treatment. Another good example of social workers advocating for patients is when it comes to ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ orders. They can take the stress off of you in terms of informing the doctors about the choices you have made.
Conducting Well-being Assessments
One key job that a social worker can do in the hospital is administering assessments, and checking in on you both physically and emotionally. If you are battling emotionally, they can counsel you.
While doctors are primarily focused on your biological health, social workers take a biopsychosocial approach and can ascertain your unique requirements. One important part of these assessments is determining your care needs.
This includes things like looking at your support network once you leave the hospital, such as family or friends. You may need additional support. This could include a career or them checking in on you weekly or fortnightly.
Providing You With Counseling
While there are important differences between social workers and psychologists, both can provide counselling to people dealing with emotionally intense events. In a hospital setting, a hospital social worker can help discuss your feelings.
When you’re sick, your mental health often suffers. It’s hard to keep going if you are severely ill. Sometimes you might need therapy for your emotional upheaval.
Dealing with the grief and trauma of being sick can take a heavy toll. Medical social workers support both the patient and their family through this taxing experience.
Being able to receive counselling is helpful because it gives you a space to be selfish and prioritize your individual concerns. This is an important break from trying to manage your family’s emotions.
A social worker in a hospital setting can also suggest alternative forms of therapy after you get discharged if they feel you would benefit from that.
Making a Discharge Plan
When it comes to leaving the hospital, your medical social worker is especially involved. Leaving the hospital is complicated, and they can help sort out discharge paperwork.
Then they can help to set up follow-ups with your team of healthcare workers. This helps you to feel less overwhelmed when leaving the hospital.
Another important thing that social workers in hospitals can do is connect you to other resources, like support groups for your disease or condition.
Discussing Your Payment Options
Being in the hospital is costly and often puts financial strain on families. It can be nightmarish having to find money to pay medical bills while you are sick.
One of the ways a social worker in a hospital can help is by discussing your assorted options for paying. This means you don’t have to take the time to investigate this and can focus more on rest and recovery.
Your social worker will have up-to-date information about the kind of payment plans available and if there is any funding or relief you can apply for. Again, their insider knowledge of the healthcare system comes in handy here.
