Is a social worker brought in on cases involving the terminally ill?

A social worker is brought on cases involving the terminally ill to help the patient and the family capture all the available resources in their community and beyond. The social worker can facilitate paperwork and directly access resources to help in the situation at hand. They can help with financial problems, domestic problems, caregiving issues, get equipment, and be the "go to" person for issues that may be difficult to resolve. They can do all this while providing emotional support during this trying time for the patient and family.

There are social workers available in many settings to provide assistance and counseling to the terminally ill and their families. I know social workers are part of palliative and hospice care teams, and are available in hospital and clinic settings as well. They can help people navigate the medical system, find community resources, and counsel about the emotional roller-coaster people who have terminal illnesses are on. There are also social workers in private practice who specialize in grief and loss issues. Social workers are often "brought in" in the hospital setting when the diagnosis is new, and part of the hospice admission process involves a social work visit, to assess psychosocial needs.