SWK6825 Palliative Care: Social Work Practice with Serious Illness

Abstract

¶COURSE DESCRIPTION: ¶This course will provide a comprehensive study of issues related to palliative and end-of-life care. Palliative care is an exciting, relatively new specialty in health care social work, and presents dynamic practice opportunities for social workers with a knowledge base in this arena. This course will integrate an interdisciplinary approach to caring for individuals facing life-limiting and serious chronic illness and their families. Readings, class discussion, and student research will include medical, psychosocial, legal, and ethical perspectives. This course is a required course for students in the Certificate Program in Gerontology and Palliative Care, but is open to all students. There are no prerequisites for this course, but it is highly recommended that students take Social Work in Health Care (SWK 6241) as background prior to enrolling in this course.

¶Objectives: ¶Students will be able to: *Identify their personal attitudes towards serious illness and the end of life. *Develop a self-care plan to prevent any adverse impacts of working in palliative care. *Explain the concepts of hospice and palliative care as a compassionate and effective approach to serious illness care. *Articulate an understanding of the basics of pain and symptom care. *List the roles of social work on the interprofessional team, and how those roles are distinct from (and similar to) the activities of other team members. *Express an appreciation for the vital roles of family caregivers in caring for family members facing serious illness and the end-of-life. *List reasons for the importance of advance care planning and advance directives in the provision of palliative care. *Discuss how cultural perspectives impact the provision of hospice and palliative care.