The Role of Social Workers in Hospital Settings- Supporting Patients and Families Through Diagnosis, Prognosis, and End-of-Life Issues

The Role of Social Workers in Hospital Settings- Supporting Patients and Families Through Diagnosis, Prognosis, and End-of-Life Issues

After reviewing the video, I think that one of the hardest decisions for patients, caregivers and families involves end-of-life treatment. Without an advance care directive from the patient, it becomes exceedingly difficult for families and physicians to make decisions on whether to continue or discontinue treatment, particularly when the patient is vulnerable and unable to communicate their wishes because they are in critical condition. Furthermore, sometimes families disagree with the wishes of the patient, which makes end-of-life treatment even more complex.

When I find out that a client has a terminal illness and is facing death, I will take them through all the options available to them regarding their treatment at the end of life. Counseling will be important, and offering proper advice on how to proceed will be important. The National Cancer Institute (2021) advises that if an individual with a terminal illness like cancer discusses their care options with the physician early enough, they tend to experience lessened stress and have better coping abilities. I would recommend an advance directive from the patient in order to help with how they would like to be treated when they are highly incapacitated and approaching death. I would also recommend hospice care, which enhances the individual’s quality of life and offers counseling and respite care. Discussing all the options, including physician-assisted suicide, will also be important to end suffering. However, these discussions should be made in a culturally appropriate manner and with the help of a trusted family member.

Discussing grief, loss, and end-of-life issues is very difficult but also very important. From the video, various family members are in utter distress over the decisions to make regarding whether to let their loved ones continue being machine-dependent or remove such supporting machines. An earlier discussion is likely to lessen such distress. As long as the families are confident that their loved one received quality care at the end of their lives, their bereavement or grief process is likely to be better managed, as Clark (2017) stipulated.

References

Clark, K. (2017). Care at the very end-of-life: dying cancer patients and their chosen family’s needs. Cancers, 9(2), 11.

National Cancer Institute. (2020). End-of-Life Care for People Who Have Cancer. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/advanced-cancer/care-choices/care-fact-sheet

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Please view the video: Facing Death https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/facing-death/

In medical settings such as a hospital, a Social Worker is often involved as part of the interdisciplinary team. A Social Worker may be asked to be present to support the patient or family in discussing diagnoses, prognosis, or end-of-life issues. A Social Worker may also be needed to support the family when the death of the patient is imminent and after the loss of their loved one.

The Role of Social Workers in Hospital Settings- Supporting Patients and Families Through Diagnosis, Prognosis, and End-of-Life Issues

After reviewing the video, please submit a paper including the following:

1)What are your thoughts after reviewing the video?
2)How might you respond when finding out a client has a terminal illness and facing death?
3)How comfortable are you in discussing grief, loss, and end-of-life issues?