3. INTRODUCTION
• The important areas of medical social workers are
in hospitals, drug rehabilitation centres, community
health agencies, nursing homes, mental health
facilities and clinics.
• Most importantly a medical social worker works to
assure that the best interests of the patient are
being met.
4. ROLE OF MSW IN HOSPITALS
• COUNSELING
• CARE PLANNING
• FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
• ASSESSMENT
• ADVOCACY
• LEGAL ASSISTANCE
5. 1.COUNSELING
• MSWs advise and counsel patients and their
families .
• MSWs explain the nature of an illness to them.
• The MSWs advise them how to effectively deal with
symptoms and treatment.
• The MSW serves as a grief counselor to help them
deal with the trauma of experiencing a chronic or an
acute illness.
6. 2.CARE PLANNING
• Families and patients often don’t know where
to turn to get medical care.
• A MSW assists patients and families in finding
and arranging services such as in home care ,
nursing home care and counseling.
• The MSWs work with the medical team and
discuss about care planning.
7. 3.FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
• As the expense for an acute and chronic illness is very
high, families may not be able to financially provide for
the care of an ill family member.
• If the ill person is a parent , financial support for the
care of dependents must also be dealt with.
• MSWs refer and assist the patients in obtaining financial
assistance , food assistance and health care coverage
through city, state and federal programmes.
8. 4.ASSESSMENT
• The MSWs assess a patient whether he is severely
mentally ill ,is a drug addict or is a victim of abuse with
the requirement of doctors or nurses.
• The experienced opinion of a MSW is highly regarded by
hospital staff.
• The MSW evaluates the patient and reports back to the
hospital staff.
• Together hospital staff and MSW collaborate to find the
best approach to help mentally ill, mentally in competent,
drug addicted or abused patients.
9. 5.ADVOCACY
• The MSW acts as an intermediatory between patients
and the medical community.
• They are the voice for people who have communication
barriers or cultural differences that make effective
communication challenging .
• Without the MSWs this type of patients often fall
between the cracks-their health and emotional needs
unknown.
10. 6.LEGAL ASSISTANCE
• MSWs must take legal action to protect the patient.
• MSWs should take legal actions in the following
situations,
a.Parents are unable to take care for their sick child
b.Accident cases
c.Abuse cases
d.Encounter cases .
• In these cases a conservator, a power of attorney or a
public guardian may need to be appointed.
11. Cont..
• MSWs DEALING WITH EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL
COMPONENTS OF ILLNESS BOTH IN RURAL AND URBAN
SETTINGS .
13. SOCIAL COMPONENTS
• Social isolation
• Break in social relationship
• Loss of family and social support.
• Inability to perform social roles.
• Financial problems.
14. Cont..
• Avail good support from the family friends relatives and
society.
• Save the patient and his families from surrendering
control of the future.
• MSWs perform their roles perfectly to manage the social
and emotional consequenses of the illness.
• MSWs apply the needed methods of social work and
different therapies to deal with the socio –emotional
aspects of illness both in rural and in urban settings
• Mobilize community resources of the patients.
