social work final exam

Roles of a Social Worker

Counselor, Educator, Broker, Case Manager, Mobilizer, Mediator, Negotiator, Facilitator, Spokesperson, Coordinator, Manager, Advocate

Hospice

End-of-life palliative care, comfort-focused, interdisciplinary team, provided at home, nursing home, assisted living, or facility

Goal - Provide comfort rather than cure
Timing - Begins after curative treatments are stopped or when focus shifts to comfort
Team - Interdisciplinary: nurses, social workers, chaplains, volunteers, physicians
Setting - Provided wherever the person lives (home, nursing home, assisted living, facility)

Palliative Care

Specialized medical care to relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, can be provided alongside curative treatment, team includes doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains

Goal - Relieve symptoms (pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, fatigue, nausea) and improve quality of life
Timing - Can be provided alongside curative treatment
Team - Doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, other professionals
Setting - Hospitals, outpatient clinics, home, or nursing facilities

Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease

Cognitive decline affecting memory, thinking, language, judgment, and daily functioning; Alzheimer’s is progressive neurodegenerative disease causing memory loss, confusion, behavioral changes

Cerebral Palsy

Motor control disorder due to brain damage before or during birth, affects balance, walking, coordination; intellectual ability may be unaffected

Epilepsy

Abrupt changes in consciousness, convulsions, or sensory distortions; cause unknown in up to 70% of cases

Down Syndrome

Genetic disorder (trisomy 21) causing physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual disability, characteristic facial features

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Social interaction difficulties, communication challenges, repetitive movements, intense obsessions, cognitive deficits, sensory difficulties; Asperger’s

Developmental Disabilities

Severe and chronic, onset before age 22, likely permanent, functional limitations in 3+ life areas, need lifelong support and services

• Disability is severe and chronic, from mental or physical impairment

• Occurs before age 22

• Likely to be permanent

• Substantial functional limitations in three or more areas: self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, independent living, economic self-sufficiency

• Demonstrates need for lifelong support and services

Multidisciplinary Team Members in Nursing Home/Hospital

Dietary staff, Activities staff, Nursing services, Social worker, Housekeeping/Laundry, Other medical staff (therapists, medical director)

Roles of Social Workers in Health Care Settings

Function 1: Understand and Interpret Jargon - Help patients understand medical terms
Function 2: Offer Emotional Support - Counseling, help patients evaluate options
Function 3: End-of-Life Plans - Help determine care preferences, Five Wishes
Function 4: Life and Lifestyle Adjustments - Help patients adopt healthier lifestyles and accommodate new conditions
Function 5: Help Parents of Children - Roles include Child Life Specialist, NICU SW, Pediatric SW, SCAN Team, Pediatric Oncology
Function 6: Serve as a Broker - Discharge planning, link to community services
Function 7: Help with Financial Arrangements - Medicaid/Medicare, state insurance, hospital fee reductions
Function 8: Health Education - Provide info on healthy lifestyles, disease, vaccines, illness management

Five Wishes

Wish 1: The Person I Want to Make Care Decisions for Me - Assigns health care agent
Wish 2: The Kind of Medical Treatment I Want or Don’t Want - Living will defining life support preferences
Wish 3: How Comfortable I Want to Be - Pain management, hospice options
Wish 4: How I Want People to Treat Me - Personal care preferences, including location
Wish 5: What I Want My Loved Ones to Know - Final wishes and funeral/memorial plans

Americans with Disabilities Act 1990

Provides access to public areas/workplaces for people with disabilities, protects substantial physical/mental difficulties

Purpose - Provides access to public areas and workplaces for people with disabilities, removes barriers to mainstream life

Functions of a Hospital Social Worker

Help patients/families understand medical information
Provide emotional support and counseling
Assist in end-of-life planning and advance directives
Coordinate discharge planning and resources
Assist with financial arrangements
Provide health education

Family Preservation

Short-term services to strengthen families in crisis, improve parenting skills, prevent out-of-home placement of children

Child Protective Services (CPS)

Protect children from abuse or neglect

Types of Child Abuse

Physical, Sexual, Emotional, Neglect

Signs of Physical Abuse

Unexplained burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, fear of adults

Signs of Sexual Abuse

Difficulty walking/sitting, nightmares, unusual sexual knowledge, early pregnancy or disease, running away

Signs of Emotional Abuse

Extremes in behavior, inappropriate adult/infantile behavior, developmental delays, suicide attempts

Signs of Neglect

Frequent school absence, begging or stealing, lack of medical care, consistently dirty, inadequate clothing

Types of Adoption

Blood-related, Unrelated, Agency, Independent, International, Special Needs, Subsidized, Interracial

Closed Adoption

No contact or identifying info shared; records sealed

Open Adoption

Some form of contact between birth parents, adoptive parents, and child

Foster Care Iowa

Basic, Moderate, Specialized, Intense

Counselor

Guidance and assistance in problem solving

Educator

Provides information and teaches skills

Broker

Links client to resources

Case Manager

Coordinates services needed

Mobilizer

Group organizer to create sought change

Mediator

Resolves arguments among people, groups, or organizations (neutral)

Negotiator

Intermediary to settle disputes (takes a side)

Facilitator

Guides the group experience

Spokesperson

Authorized to speak on behalf of others

Coordinator

Coordinates people & duties, bringing people together and organizing

Manager

Administrative responsibilities for a system, leader

Advocate

Speaks out on behalf of clients

Function 1

Understand and Interpret Jargon - Help patients understand medical terms

Function 2

Offer Emotional Support - Counseling, help patients evaluate options

Function 3

End-of-Life Plans - Help determine care preferences, Five Wishes

Function 4

Life and Lifestyle Adjustments - Help patients adopt healthier lifestyles and accommodate new conditions

Function 5

Help Parents of Children - Roles include Child Life Specialist, NICU SW, Pediatric SW, SCAN Team, Pediatric Oncology

Function 6

Serve as a Broker - Discharge planning, link to community services

Function 7

Help with Financial Arrangements - Medicaid/Medicare, state insurance, hospital fee reductions

Function 8

Health Education - Provide info on healthy lifestyles, disease, vaccines, illness management

Blood-related adoption

When a child is adopted by a relative (like a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or older sibling).

Unrelated adoption

When the adoptive parents have no biological or family connection to the child.

Agency adoption

An adoption handled through a licensed agency that matches children with adoptive families.

Independent adoption

An adoption arranged directly between the birth parents and adoptive parents, usually with the help of a lawyer.

International adoption

When adoptive parents adopt a child from another country.

Special needs adoption

Adopting a child who has physical, emotional, developmental, or medical needs, or is older and harder to place.

Subsidized adoption

When the government provides financial assistance to help families adopt children who need extra support.

Interracial adoption

When parents adopt a child of a different race or ethnic background than their own.

Basic

Kids who just need normal care.

Moderate

Kids who need extra help or supervision.

Specialized

Kids who have bigger needs and need trained foster parents.

Intense

Kids who need the most help, constant support, and highly trained caregivers.

Wish 1

The Person I Want to Make Care Decisions for Me - Assigns health care agent

Wish 2

The Kind of Medical Treatment I Want or Don’t Want - Living will defining life support preferences

Wish 3

How Comfortable I Want to Be - Pain management, hospice options

Wish 4

How I Want People to Treat Me - Personal care preferences, including location

Wish 5

What I Want My Loved Ones to Know - Final wishes and funeral/memorial plans