The hospitalization or illness of a child can greatly disrupt a family’s normal routine. As members of the health care team, social workers are familiar with the many kinds of stress that families may experience and are available to assist in a variety of ways, including:
- Communication between the health care team and parents, ensuring everyone has an understanding of the health care plan
- Addressing patient and family concerns and fears around diagnosis, treatment, discharge, and/or return to school
- Providing guidance on how to explain a child’s condition to siblings, relatives and teachers
- Providing emotional support, resources and counseling to patients and loved ones dealing with issues of loss, grief and bereavement
- Coordinating discharge, transfer to other hospitals, and home services after a child is discharged from the hospital
- Assisting with financial need issues, including transportation, lodging, food, clothing, home utilities, medical equipment, medications and other costs associated with having a child in the hospital
- Arranging a Family Meeting with the health care team during times of difficult decision-making
- Finding the answers to questions surrounding who has the legal right to information about a child’s medical care
Follow-up Visits Our social workers can assist children or family members with issues related to returning to the hospital for outpatient appointments, especially if they are struggling or having a particular emotional reaction to ongoing appointments. To learn more, visit the Department of Social Work website or call 734-764-6893.