Rehabilitation Hospitals

To serve as a social worker means to serve in a variety of roles – usually on a daily basis. That’s certainly true of social workers who serve in inpatient rehabilitation facilities.

With March being National Social Work Month, it’s a great time to take a closer look at the many ways the nation’s more than 600,000 social workers serve the healthcare industry. And in an inpatient rehabilitation setting, where patients are recovering from disabling diseases, injuries, and chronic illnesses, social workers are an integral part of the medical team.

Social Workers in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities

Social workers are key contributors in the rehabilitation and recovery of patients in inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Their roles may include:

The initial screening and evaluation of patients and families.
Helping patients and family members deal with the many aspects of the patient’s condition – social, financial, and emotional.
Helping patients and families understand their illnesses and treatment options.
Acting as an advocate for patients and families – including as an advocate for the patient’s health care rights.
Aid and expedite decision-making on behalf of patients and their families.
Educating patients on the roles of other members on their recovery team – including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, etc.
Crisis intervention
Providing a comprehensive psychosocial assessment of patients.
Educating patients and families about post-hospital care.
Helping patients adjust to their inpatient rehab setting.
Coordinating patient discharge and continuity of care following discharge.

Serving as a Patient/Family Advocate

As mentioned, one of the key roles that social workers serve in an inpatient rehabilitation setting is as a patient advocate. The importance of helping the patient understand and adjust to hospital procedures, understand medical plans, and assisting the patient’s family with financial planning is crucial.

The social worker’s role as an advocate also includes maintaining open lines of communication between the patient, family, and other members of the health care team. He or she also will learn each family’s dynamics while understanding its strengths – and encouraging the use of these strengths.

Indeed, the pressure on families as a loved one moves through the health care system can be intense and there’s a lot to learn in a short time. Social workers ease this pressure on all levels, whether it regards the plan of treatment or financial needs.

Studies have shown that the more informed the patient, the better healthcare decisions he or she will make during their treatment and post-recovery. In turn, this results in better long-term health outcomes while also saving money.

While some healthcare facilities will have trained volunteers serving as patient advocates, social workers are more qualified to serve in an advocate role based on their education, training, and experience. At Ernest Health Systems, we believe that social workers are an essential part of a patient’s recovery team.

The goal of rehabilitation is to help your loved one live and function as independently as possible. Rehabilitation helps the body heal and assists the brain in relearning processes so that an individual recovers as quickly and efficiently as possible. Rehabilitation will also help the person with Brain Injuries learn new ways to do things if any previous abilities have been lost.

After your loved one’s initial life-saving treatment at the time of the injury, he or she will most likely start a rehabilitation program and will work with a team of specialists. The person with an injury and his or her family are the most important members of the rehabilitation team. Family members should be included in the rehabilitation and treatment as much as possible. Some of the other professionals who may be part of this team include:

Neurologists – doctors who are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of nervous system disorders, including diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles.
Occupational, physical, speech and language therapists – therapists that help the person regain thinking skills, communication skills, physical abilities and behavioral skills.
Neuropsychologists – specialized psychologists who focus on thinking skills and behavior problems.
Vocational rehabilitation experts – employment coaches who help with regaining job skills.

Some of the different types of rehabilitation facilities include:

Acute rehabilitation – an intensive rehabilitation program.
Coma treatment centers – provide coma-specific medical care.
Transitional living programs – nonmedical residential programs that teach skills for community living.
Long-term care and supervised living programs – residential facilities that provide care and
rehabilitation to people with brain injuries who are not able to live independently.
Behavior management programs – typically community-based (i.e., not residential) programs that teach self-control and appropriate social behaviors.
Day treatment programs – provide rehabilitation during the day so the person can return home at night.

Recovering from a brain injury is a process and is individual to each person and family. One of the major impacts that stroke has on quality of life is the way that it affects a person’s emotions and relationships. There are hardships that immediately come to mind – communication problems, mobility limitations, cognitive impairment – but there are also complex social and emotional stressors that impact well-being. Stroke affects emotions, and in turn, relationships and social functioning among stroke victims and family, friends, and/or caregivers. It is important to remember that rehabilitation may last weeks or even years and that your loved one will benefit from the ability to receive rehabilitation services throughout this time. Appropriate programs and treatments will also change as your family member’s needs change. Choosing Ernest Health is a huge step forward on the road to recovery!

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All Posts Tagged: Rehabilitation Hospitals

Caregiver’s Guide to Brain Injury Rehabilitation