Chapter 8 Weekly Reflection

Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance coverage are the three economic accesses to health service. Unfortunately these three basic sources of health insurance coverage do not fit together in such a way that all American are included in 1998, 16.3 per. Of the United States population or 44.281 million persons, were without any health insurance. The size of the uninsured population varies across states within the United States. Ethnic variation most advantages in the United States racial and ethnic minority group members tend to fare worse than the white majority. Age variation the elderly are most advantaged in terms of health insurance coverage. A mix model form also characterises the health services themselves, in the hospital, nursing home care agencies, outpatient clinics, and other organisational settings of such services are sometimes public tax supported, sometimes private nonprofit, and sometimes private for profit. Most Americans are very satisfied with the health care services they receive ( Zis Jacobs, and Shapiro, 1996), and professional health care providers, such as physicians, nurses, and allied health care professionals( social worker, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists) are generally well traine, with high legal and professional practice standards.

Reference: Social Work in the Health Field A Care Perspective Second edition Lois A. Fort Cowles

Reflection Blog for Chapter 8 Even though the United States has some of the highest qualified doctors and some of the most advanced technology in the world, not all Americans has access to this high quality health care especially the poor, the elderly and the very young. The fact is the uninsured population is rising while health care cost are skyrocketing and we live in a country where basic health care is denied to those in need everyday. An elderly person should not have to decide between medication and food. The number one cause of bankruptcy in America is medical bills. Americans fear the cost of a universal health care system that is working well in other countries. This fear is unfounded though because they are already paying for it through waste, abuse and fraud in our for-profit hospitals. Only thing is, sick people are not the ones benefiting. (Cowles, L.A.F., 2003)In some cases, your medical treatment can be determined by a third party whose only interest is in keeping your health care cost low so that the money saved can be distributed to the CEO's of the corporation they work for. This may sound jaded, but it is a fact. The bright side is, there is a trend that is focusing on promotion and education for a healthy lifestyle and prevention of disease. This focus is on preventing rather that curing and should prove to be more cost effective, not to mention the emotional toll that a disease can have on an individual as well as their family. This is a positive step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the power goes in the direction of the money flow and the American Medical Association is much, much more powerful than all of the poor American put together. References Cowles, L. A. (2003). Social work in the health field: A care perspective. New York: Haworth Social Work Practice Press.

Reflection 8

Chapter 8 discusses the strengths and problems of the health care system featured in the United States. The health care system is made up of many attributes that are beneficial but also have flaws at times. Three of the biggest systems that make up the United State’s health care system are Medicare and Medicaid and private health insurance. Medicare is, “amounts to national health insurance for selected groups, elderly and disabled who are eligible for Social Security, as well as persons who are medially dependent upon expensive renal dialysis treatments for survival as a result of end-stage renal disease that is financed from employee payroll taxes” (Cowles, p.319). Medicaid is just the opposite and is mostly for children or adults who need the extra help. It is a government program which is financed by the state. Along with these a private health insurance is the insurance supplied by an employer to their worker. Although these three systems help out so many and are great programs, they do not “fit” together or cover every person with insurance. The costs of these programs vary. Every year it is mostly changed and depends on the type of insurance that is provided and how much it is put to use. Controlling health care costs is a big goal for the United States and is why a reform has been put to place. “Managed care has emerged in the United States as one method to control health care costs…” (Cowles, p.332). Managed care is a cluster of health service systems who try to control the costs throughout the health care system. In my opinion, the United States has good intentions on health care systems, but it seems like there is always more problems and confusing with ours than needed to be. I feel like new trends need to be added.

Resource:

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

Digital Presentation

Reflection 7

In chapter 7 we learn the importance of social work in the hospice care. This type of care was created was a sense of responsibility to help relieve human suffering. "The objective of hospice care is to maximize the  quality of a patient's remaining life and to facilitate his or her 'safe passage'" (Cowles, p. 285). Although hospice is normally mistaken for taking the family's place of taken care, it is not. Hospice provides support and care for the patient and family, especially right before time of death. Hospice workers are to provide strength that recognizes the patient's sense of wholeness and, intactness, and also control. "Hospice care has a holistic perspective in that it directs attention to the needs of the whole person" (Cowles, p. 285). Hospice also includes recognizing the biological, psychological, and also social spheres of a person's life. This refers to relationships with other people through the community, family, society, and cultural influences. Social workers are used in hospice for these reasons. A social worker's prime focus throughout hospice health is the patient's care and their psychological needs. They are to provide comfort to the patient and family through this hard time and to make sure they engage in a "passing death". The social worker also helps the family through their grieving before and after the patient passes. Hospice is a good organization that provides care all over. It provides support and comfort that is needed throughout  a scary time. Social workers also play a huge role and make a difference day by day.

Weekly Blog Reflection Ch. 7

Social work in the hospice care setting can be practiced similarly to the settings of a hospital, home health care, or nursing home social worker thorough public, private, and nonprofit agencies that either employ or contract social workers to perform hospice duties. Therefore, hospice social workers can work within the settings of the other medical social workers, often crossing paths and receiving information for and about the patient. 

  Hospice care is referred in the text as, end of life care that requires social workers to participate in interdisciplinary teamwork as well as, to provide direct care for patients and their families. This care is met by a social worker performing several functions that address, focus, individualize,and meet the holistic needs of a patient's biological, psychological, and social aspects. In addition to meeting the patient's needs a social worker must also address and meet those same needs of the patient's family, so that they may be able to support, transition, and provide care for the dying family member both before and after death. 

   Like other medical social workers, hospice social workers often run into the same organizational, funding, and the overstepping of other professions boundaries, issues, and conflicts while trying to effectively practice and provide care for a patient. However, like in any other medical setting, a hospice social worker must advocate for themselves as well as, the clients right to practice and receive extraordinary end of life care and educate future social workers of these types of situations and steps to prevent and resolve them.

  I believe this chapter really opened my eyes to the possibility of practicing hospice social work and emphasized on the importance of assisting a patient understand their pain, rights, wishes, concerns, and transition into and about their dying process. Something that I found particularly interesting about the chapter on Hospice care, was that the text stated that physician often delays the referral for hospice care for a patient and that many patients die within a few weeks to only of month after receiving services. Clearly this is not enough time for a social worker, a patient, or their family members to perform or receive the due care that they deserve. This doesn't seem very ethical...

Reference:

 Cowles, L. A. F. (2003). Social work in the health field: A care perspective. Routledge.

Weekly reflection 7

Chapter seven discusses the role of a social worker in hospice care. Hospice is a program and a philosophy not just a particular place or setting. Most hospice care is provided in the home, however hospice agencies sometimes follow former home care patients into nursing homes to provide continuity of appropriate care. Some acute care hospitals provide hospice care service on the hospital site.  Client problems and social worker functions relating to hospice care depend on the type of organizational setting. “From the perspective of social worker functions, the problems of patients in hospice care may be classified as those associated with: admission to the hospice service, adjustment to the service or facility, adjustment to the diagnosis, prognosis, or care plan, the lack of information to make informed decisions and take control, the lack of needed supportive resources, such as supportive tools and equipment, support services, income supports, supportive environmental adaptations, and interpersonal supports, and barriers to discharge from the service or setting” (Fort Cowles, 2003, p. 293). I think that being a social worker in hospice care would be very hard. It is a hard job to get to know people and to watch them die even though it is part of life.

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