Chicago Medical Social Worker

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Chicago Medical Social Worker

A patient may need the services of a medical social worker to advocate on his or her behalf in order to protect the patient’s social and emotional necessities during the course of treatment. Much like a traditional social worker, their medical counterparts are tasked with assisting patients and families to better understand the illness or condition affecting the patient and guide them through the process of treatment after a diagnosis. That assistance can be found in many forms, from education to coordination of necessary medical services to providing access for critical resources that can ease the financial and emotional burdens of that diagnosis.

A medical social worker works directly with medical professionals and facility administrators to coordinate the discharge and care for patients who need additional treatment once they leave a medical facility. After the patient has returned home, the medical social worker’s job becomes more crucial as the duties are focused on working with the patient and all stakeholders to coordinate proper care across all necessary medical services and managing the needs and expectations of all stakeholders during any emergency situations that might arise due to the condition or illness of the patient.

At Anuco Home Health, we employ medical social workers to perform a wide range of essential duties for maintaining the health and well being of the patients in our care

Common Duties of Medical Social Workers

While the duties of a medical social worker are targeted towards helping the patient and the family manage the challenges of care inherent to that patient’s illness or condition, those duties are often performed in a variety of ways that always support and foster positive health outcomes for the patient.

The medical social worker provides guidance and advocacy for the patient and loved ones, so they are able to withstand the physical, financial, and emotional issues that are part of this very difficult time.

The following are some of the most basic responsibilities of a medical social worker:

Education and Counseling

Some of the most important work that a medical social worker can offer to a patient and stakeholders are counseling and education to help families deal with the crisis of a loved one’s illness or condition. Besides providing information on useful resources that are available for managing hardships, a medical social worker can also be a vital participant in a support group or one-on-one counselor. The primary goal of the medical social worker is to make sure that all of the patient’s physical, emotional, and mental needs are being met at all times during the treatment process. In many cases, education and counseling is the first step in fulfilling that goal.

Mental Health Evaluation

A patient who is struggling with mental health challenges or presents in the high risk category for emotional or mental health needs can be analyzed by a medical social worker and recommendations made for the patient in a home healthcare setting. During the assessment, the social worker can determine the patient’s social, environmental, and medical concerns and design a plan for discharge that best meets these concerns to promote positive health outcomes after the patient returns home and stakeholders are tasked with providing the highest-quality care possible.

Discharge Planner

When patients are discharged from hospitals or other medical settings, the requirements for maintaining a high level of care in the home are often planned and coordinated by the medical social worker. Coming back home after a surgical procedure or a long illness can be a difficult time for the patient and their stakeholders. There is a whole list of responsibilities and preparations that must be addressed, from medications to medical bills to having the right equipment furnished in the home to sustain care, patients and families require education and support to prepare for the patient to be safe and comfortable at home. This preparation process can get very complicated, it could mean having the home refurnished or redesigned to make it easier for the patient to move around or it could involve hiring further medical professionals to provide additional care.

All of this can be very stressful on the patient and the family, a medical social worker is there to offer compassionate support when the stress just gets too overwhelming. A physician’s recommendations must be complied with if the patient is to recover in full and a medical social worker can be extremely useful in applying his or her expertise and knowledge to help that happen.

This collaboration between the medical social worker and stakeholders is instrumental in creating a successful strategy for the patient’s discharge from a hospital or care facility. Transportation, meals, medications, and medical equipment are just some of the critical factors that make up a discharge plan and once the patient has arrived at home, the medical social worker will continue to check in on the patient and advise all stakeholders on further steps to take with respect to identifying and solving any barriers to care that might emerge in the near future.

Studies have determined that a patient who returns home with a specific discharge plan ready in advance experience more successful recovery and healing and positive medical outcomes. Putting that strategy in place ahead of time eliminates the worry over attempting to maneuver through the complicated obstacles and requirements that are part and parcel of our current health system.

Having someone on your side to help navigate the collective pitfalls and confusion of preparing the patient for home healthcare makes a challenging time somewhat less difficult.

Advocating for the Patient

Anuco Home Health believes the patient must always come first, in all instances and situations, regardless of medical condition. We work with physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals to take great lengths in providing the care that is needed. A medical social worker ensures that the patient’s wishes are always acknowledged and care administered in the appropriate capacity.

Working in concert with the family members and loved ones of the patient is an important part of the advocacy process as it helps establish a pattern for care that leaves little room for confusion or inconsistency in administering that care. This is essential for healing and recovery of the patient in a timely manner that remains within the guidelines of the physician and other medical professionals.

That advocacy consists of the many responsibilities assigned to the medical social worker and the duties that he or she performs in support of the healthcare the patient will receive in the home setting. Our team of medical social workers are highly-qualified and skilled at advocating for and ensuring the safety of the patient throughout the duration of treatment.

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We love to hear from to you. Our friendly team is always here to chat.

    Phone: (773)417-8342

    Fax: (773)417-8390

    Email: referral@anucohhc.com

    Address: 17 N.Leclaire Avenue Chicago, IL 60644-4104

    “We’re Looking Forward To Working With You…”

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