Hospital social work and discharge planning for older people: challenges of working in a clinical setting

Across the world acute hospitals are under unprecedented pressures due to shrinking budgets and increasing demand, against this backdrop they are also experiencing record levels of activity in Accident & Emergency and delayed transfers of care. Reducing pressure on hospitals by avoiding unnecessary admissions and delayed discharges has risen up the global policy agenda. However, reviews of strategies and policies have rarely involved discussions about the role that hospital social workers play in achieving timely hospital discharge. Yet discharge planning has become a, if not the, central function of these professionals. This paper presents the results of a small-scale exploratory study of hospital social work in an acute hospital in Northern Ireland. The findings reveal that the work of hospital social workers is characterised by increased bureaucracy, an emphasis on targets and a decrease in the time afforded to forming relationships with older people. Hospital social workers highlight concerns that the emphasis on discharge planning and pressures associated with the austerity agenda limits their capacity to provide other more traditional roles such as advocacy and counselling. It is argued that hospital social work should not be narrowly defined as ‘simply’ co-ordinating discharge plans. The tension that arises between expediting hospital discharge and advocating for older people and their families is also discussed.

Death, dying and bereavement care during COVID-19: Creativity in hospital social work practice

Bereavement support and conducting viewings for grieving family members are commonplace activities for social workers in the acute hospital setting, however the risks that COVID-19 has brought to the social work role in bereavement care has necessitated the exploration of creative alternatives. Social workers are acutely aware of the complicating factors when bereavement support is inadequately provided, let alone absent, and with the aid of technology and both individual advocacy, social workers have been able to continue to focus on the needs of the most vulnerable in the hospital system. By drawing on reflective journaling and verbal reflective discussions amongst the authors, this article discusses bereavement support and the facilitation of viewings as clinical areas in which hospital social work has been observed adapting practice creatively throughout the pandemic.

Status of training a bachelor degree in hospital social work at the Hanoi University of Public Health: Some recommendations

Training a bachelor degree in hospital social work plays an important role in improving the quality of human resources on social work in the health sector. The objective of the study was to describe the status of training a bachelor degree in hospital social work at the Hanoi University of Public Health and to give a number of recommendations. This was a cross-sectional study, through collection of secondary data and qualitative research (09 in-depth interviews, 03 focus group discussions). The research results showed that the outcome standards and curriculum framework are logical and appropriate, clearly showing the training program of hospital social work. Faculty members have appropriate professional qualifications, diversified teaching methods, enthusiasm, fairness and equality with learners. The network of social work practice\internships is diversified in large-scale hospitals. The hospital social work materials\textbooks have been compiled for instruction in the training program. The study also pointed out some difficulties in the status of training a bachelor degree in hospital social work at the Hanoi University of Public Health and proposed some recommendations to improve the quality of the training program in the future.

Demands for the material “Hospital Social Work” among social workers and health workers in hospital in Vietnam

The material “Hospital Social Work” is essential in the process of professionalization of social work in Vietnam today. This study aimed to describe the demands for the material “Hospital Social Work” among social workers and health workers in hospital in Vietnam. On that basis, we recommended the content of this material. The study was conducted on 175 participants including 103 social workers and 72 health workers from seven hospitals at central levels. Our study showed that health workers had a higher demand for the content of “Basic information about hospital social work” (p = 0.018), while social workers had a higher demand for the content of “Intervention methods of hospital social work” (p = 0.004); “Social work skills in hospitals” (p = 0.028); “Mental health assessment instruments” (p = 0.007) and “Social work process in hospital” (p = 0.005). The study also made recommendations to the Ministry of Health and schools of social work in Vietnam to compile this material effectively and in accordance with reality.