Social Work Services
A social worker is available to our cancer patients and families with discharge planning. Assessments will be made for home health, hospice, assisted living, nursing home placement, retirement living, medical equipment, outpatient treatments and transportation.
An oncology social worker receives specialized training in cancer care through continuing education and on-the-job experience with Baptist Cancer Center. Our social workers understand that cancer affects everyone differently and they can help with many areas of cancer care that you might not even think about initially after a diagnosis. Consideration such as how to talk to your friends and family about your diagnosis or how you will handle your job and responsibilities while fighting cancer are topics that an oncology social worker can help you address. These situations and topics can be hard for patients to discuss or even think about so that's where a social worker can help by facilitating those conversations and helping patients with the non-medical aspects of living with cancer.
After cancer treatments, returning to a normal routine can be very difficult for cancer patients so often our social workers will still remain a resource for patients to help them adjust to life throughout survivorship. By helping them locate resources and support groups a social worker can help patients become self-managed and feel like their selves again. Emotional support is a large component of a social worker in a cancer care setting, and at Baptist we believe in treating the whole patient and not just the physical symptoms.
Our social workers are also available for counseling regarding adjustment to the disease process and life changes, end-of-life issues, living wills and durable power of attorney and disability, or social security and employment. Our social worker also addresses financial concerns and can refer patients to appropriate community agencies. Physicians, staff members, patients and families can make referrals to social work services.
