Chapter 9 Reflection

Chapter 9 discusses how social work plans to move forward in the future. I think this is very important to understand when trying to access what we need to do to help social workers reach their full potential. When doing my interview the other day, I discussed with my interviewee, Penny Robinson, about how it felt to work in her profession and if it was moving forward. Penny explained that she felt as though social workers are getting more limelight and respect as the times are changing in health care facilities. This chapters discusses short term and long term solutions; insurance companies are loving this because that is less money they have spend depending on the situation. Short term solutions reduce frequency with hospital visits, enables families to help with care, and speed up the discharge process (Cowles, 2003, p. 350). I personally think that moving forward positively and with heath care facilities support is the main contributing factor in building social workers future.

Cowles, L. A. Fort (2003). A Vision of Future Social Work Practice in Health Care. Social work in the health field: a care perspective (2nd ed., pp. 343-364). New York: Haworth Social Work Practice Press

Ch 9 Weekly Reflection

The final chapter of this book discusses the past and future of social work in the health field. There are many changes occuring in the health care field. " Volland and colleagues identified three groups of social work skills especially needed in light of the trends in health care affecting social work in the field: 1) Basic Skills, 2) Population-specific skills, and 3) Autonomy-building skills" (Fort Cowles. 2003, p.354-355). Health care education at the graduate social work level should be offered in more schools of social work and be more extensive in terms of the number and range of courses offered. The education materials used should be more current and relevant to the reality of the health care system in which social workers will be employed. We need to develop effective supportive interventions to address the needs of the aged and others with chronic impairments, temporarily impaired, teminally ill, and those who need care to grow and develop. The essence of care or caring is to strengthen the ability of people to cope with the challenges they face, so they can have an improved quality of care.

Reference:
Fort Cowles, L.A.(2003). Social Work in the Health Field: A Care Perspective ( 2nd Ed.) Binghamton, Ny: The Haworth Press.

Weekly Reflection 9

Weekly Reflection 9

The final chapter summarizes the whole book and gives us the overall idea of the social work field.  It points out the emerging trends in health care delivery.  One of the important changes made in the health care in the United States is shifting from the hospital to the community as the center of health care delivery (Cowles, 2003).  This country understands that people with various health care situations need professionals who understand their not only physiological status, but also psychological, and social status.   Therefore, social workers are in demand in all kinds of health care field and because of them, the country is able to reduce the use of both mental hospitals and general hospitals and to increase the use of ambulatory care setting.  Three groups of social work skills are identified to be needed in the care affecting social work in the field: Basic skills, population-specific skills, and Autonomy-building skills.  Health care social workers should be prepared to work with little or no supervision, be able to take the leadership roles on a team and be able to advise the patient and family about their options.  The research for social work field should be done more in order to develop a body of practice.  The need for a technology of caring is also important in health care.  Because caring is prevention, professionals should more focus on all three levels of health service: Promotion of health and prevention of disease onset, prevention of compounding already existing health problems, and prevention of avoidable suffering and impairment of function.

Reference

Cowles, L. A. F. (Ed.). (2003). Social work in the health field: A care perspective. (2nd ed.) Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.

Reflection 9

Chapter 9 discusses “A vision of future social work practice in health care”. In other words, it relates to comparing the past and present of social work, the changes that have and are taking place throughout social work in the health care field, and also the research, skills, and values that are needed in order to be a social worker in the professional world. Many changes have taken place throughout the health care field along with the duties of a social worker. A few include; “Shift from hospital to the community as the center of health care delivery, increase in health problems with social and environmental etiology, growing expectation that families will have to do more of the care giving of their own members, at all levels of caring, gradual transformation of once-terminal health problems, into more chronic long-term care ones, etc.” (Cowles, p. 343).  While these different trends are introduced or become adapted, it is important that a social worker keep up to date and also always remember their primary goal; and that is to help people and try to keep them happy no matter the circumstances. “In light of values and ethics of the profession, it seems that health care social workers ought to consider what is really needed to make fundamental improvements in our nation” (Cowles, p. 353). This is stated in order to equal out populations and its health status, diminish social inequality, raise money along with increasing programs that are used for health advertising and prevention for disease, etc. “Whether the supports are interpersonal or concrete, the essence of care or caring is to strengthen the ability of people to cope with the challenges they face, so they can have an improved quality of life” (Cowles, p. 364). In my opinion this statement is a perfect for a social worker in the health care field, and describes every aspect of what they do on a day to day basis. Social work is about caring and providing, although there are many changes, patients still need to be happy.

Resource:

Fort Cowles, L. A. (2003). Social Work in the Health Field: A Care Perspective ( 2nd Ed.) Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.

weekly reflection 8

Weekly Reflection 8

Economic access to health services, types of health service organization, the quality of health care, cost, and managed care are discussed in chapter eight.  The United States health care system involves Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance (Cowles, 2003).  Recently, the uninsured population and the underinsured population are growing depending on the area, ethnicity, and employment status. There are different health service organizations such as hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, outpatient clinics and non-profit organizations in America.  One can get the best health care service in America only he or she can afford it.  Despite of the fact that the United States has the best health care system in the world, population health status is lower than some countries like Japan.   It may be because of the shortage of nursing and emergency room stuff, shortage of physicians who tend to retire earlier.  Although the annual rate of increase in health care costs has generally declined, the total health care cost continues to exceed compared to other countries.  To control health care costs, one method called managed care has emerged in the United States.  The chapter also points out about the CEOs of profit-making managed care organizations being awarded with multimillion dollar annual salaries and benefits packages in a nation where about over 40 million citizens have no health insurance.  Cowles believes that we need more health maintenance organization (HMOs) of the Kaiser Permanente type, nonprofit, health care providers because they make their own decisions about choice of  interventions and assume the financial risk of exceeding the capitated prepayment. 

 

Reference

Cowles, L. A. F. (Ed.). (2003). Social work in the health field: A care perspective. (2nd ed.) Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.

chapter 8 discussion

Chapter eight talks about how the U.S. and how they have three economic accesses to health services. The three economic accesses to health service are Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance. Medicare is where for selected groups only. They are for the elderly and disabled who are eligible for social security. Medicaid is for children and adults who need help when it comes to insurance. Private health insurance is where an employer provides for their workers. These three economic accesses do not “fit” together but they do help people in today’s society. Social workers can help people understand what the protocol is when it comes to health insurance. I believe that if you have a medical social worker there at hospitals to explain insurance to the patients then it will clear a lot of questions that they might have.  One thing that is not fair is that not everyone can afford insurance and sometimes people have a hard time to be seen by a doctor because they do not have insurance. More people are becoming uninsured and health care cost is becoming more and more expensive. It is really sad in my opinion. One good direction we could do is to make sure we inform everyone on how to live a healthy lifestyle and try to exercise when they can. That can help them by not getting sick as often. Hopefully one day we will have a society where everyone was eligible for health care and we can all make sure that everyone gets the help that they need.

Fort Cowles, L. A. (2003). Social Work in the Health Field: A Care Perspective (2nd Ed.) Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.

Weekly Reflection Ch 8

Chapter eight in this book discusses the U.S. health care system's strengths and problems. "The U.S. "nonsystem" of economic access to health care services represents a mixed model with the following features: 1) Medicare, which amounts to national health insurance for selected groups (elderly and disabled who are eligible for Social Security 2) Medicaid, a public assistance program financed from state and federal general revenue for person who qualify and 3) private health insurance" (Fort Cowles, 2003, p. 319). Unfortunately these three basic sources of health insurance coverage do not include all Americans. They leave gaps and the amount of people without insurance coverage has increased in recent years. In addition to the uninsured population there are many people that have only partial health insurance coverage, requiring out of pocket contributions such as deductibles, coinsurance, and uncovered services. Health care cost is very expensive and its sad that people with no insurance get the worst treatment involving health care if any at all. It was interesting to read that the United States is the only industrial nation in the world, besides South Africa, without a national system for ensuring universal economic access to basic health care, yet the United States also spends more than any of these other industrial societies.

Reference:
Fort Cowles, L. A. (2003). Social Work in the Health Field: A Care Perspective ( 2nd Ed.) Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.