Social Work

As Specialist Palliative Care Social Workers and Bereavement Support we will listen to make sure we understand your needs.

Coming to terms with serious illness can be difficult and distressing.  We know when someone is seriously ill everyone around them is affected. Strong and sometimes unfamiliar emotions are common: you may feel depressed, helpless, frightened or angry.  You may be worried about your children and other family members and may be unsure as to how to talk together about what is happening and how to support each other.  There may be financial or other new problems for you or your loved ones to deal with.  You may be worried about the future and feel overwhelmed by everything.

So, what is a Specialist Palliative Care Social Worker?

Specialist Palliative Care Social Workers are experienced in working across multiple areas of health and social care and often provide a link between them all.  Social workers are systemic trained, this means we work directly with all the family and their systems.  We work with children and adults in their own homes, in our community bases or in the In-Patient Units.

The aims of our services are:

• To provide practical support, advice and signposting to other services.
• To provide emotional and psychosocial support in a situation that can often feel lonely and overwhelming.
• To support patients coming to terms with approaching the end of their lives and to facilitate legacy and memory work.
• To be a link between patients and their families and other services.
• To support families in challenging situations.
• To advocate for the needs, decisions and rights of patients in palliative and end of life care.
• To provide support and information to other services and professionals.
• To provide specialist, age appropriate, resources for children and young people, e.g. books, memory boxes, links to bereavement support services.
• To support families in talking to their children about illness.

Remaining adaptive and fluid is key for the Social Work Team in negotiating challenges and crisis in the fast-paced lifestyles of those we support.

Helpful Links:

The following organisations provide information on making a “Will”.

• Citizens Information :  https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/death/before-a-death/making-a-will/
• FLAC Free legal Advice Centres :  https://www.flac.ie/publications/legal-info-leaflet-wills-intestacy/

Other Helpful Links:

Precious Times – a handbook on Palliative Care for parents of children with cancer.

This book is designed for families of children who have advanced cancer.  The purpose of this book is to give you and your family information which will hopefully help you during palliative care.

https://www.cancer.ie/sites/default/files/2019-12/Precious%20Times%202019%20web.pdf

A Time to Care – Caring for someone seriously ill at home booklet

This booklet is to help you if you want to care for a seriously ill family member or friend at home.

or friend at home.

https://www.cancer.ie/sites/default/files/2019-11/a_time_to_care_2017.pdf

Irish Childhood Bereavement Network:

This website provides information and guidance to parents and guardians about communicating and breaking bad news to children in advance of the death of a family member.

https://www.childhoodbereavement.ie/families/supporting-children-before-a-death