Medical Social Services

The Medical Social Services team delivers the following services:

MSWs assist patients in making a smooth and seamless transition from the hospital back into the community, through the development of a plan that includes ongoing maintenance, continuity of care and efficient use of hospital and community resources.

The process can involve:

• Collaboration with different medical and health disciplines through case discussions and multi-disciplinary meetings
• Family conferences
• Liaising with external service providers as well as referrals to institutions such as day care, nursing home, community hospitals, etc.

MSWs provide counselling and psychotherapy for both patients and caregivers. Counselling is available for individuals who are experiencing difficulties in adjusting to illness, disability, and treatment leading to anxiety, emotional distress, grief and loss issues, as well as personal and family problems.

MSWs also link patients to external resources such as Family Service Centres to ensure continued support even after their discharge.

Medical treatment costs are common concerns among many patients. In addition to formal assistance schemes such as Medifund, we point needy and eligible patients to external resources that can help cover their treatment costs and other practical needs arising from their illnesses.

MSWs also conduct risk assessments for patients to ascertain potential safety issues after a patient’s discharge. Referrals can be made in situations whereby the patient has been admitted as a result of a suicide attempt or domestic violence. Through the assessment, MSWs will not only provide emotional support but will also work with the patient and the hospital team to develop safety plans for these patients.

For suicide cases, all MSWs attending to patients are trained in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) from LivingWorks (Calgary, Canada).

Patients admitted as a result of traffic accidents and other traumatic injuries are often exposed to psychological trauma. Our MSWs aim to provide support to these patients and their families to help them cope more effectively. MSWs are trained as CARE (Caring Action in Response to an Emergency) officers to provide Critical Incident Stress Management (Individual and Group) for people affected by critical incidents or national disasters.

Dealing with the onset of an illness is never an easy experience for patients and their families. MSWs organise and facilitate support groups, whereby patients or their families can share their concerns in a supportive environment and meet individuals who share similar experiences.