MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK
As members of the home health care team, social workers offer their unique skills to help patients and families cope with illness and the challenges of caregiving at home.

Medical social workers assist the patient and family when social, emotional or economic factors interfere with the patient’s medical condition, treatment plan or rate of recovery. Areas where the social worker may assist the patient or family may include learning to cope with the effects of the patient’s illness, referral to additional community resources, planning for long term care, assisting patients with advance directives or advocating for the patient who needs financial assistance.