Cardiology

Social work in Cardiology operates as part of the Cardiac Multi-Disciplinary Team. Its core function is to offer care and support to patients diagnosed with a broad range of cardiac issues and their families. Specifically, social work is tasked with capturing and collating familial information and carrying out psychosocial assessments, when required, to better support the critical needs of the patient and family as they arise. Following assessment, a range of social work interventions can be used depending on the need. These include – nondirective counselling and emotional support for patients and/or parents, grief counselling following impact of diagnosis, and bereavement support. Social work in cardiology also engages is cross border work with other hospitals to support families as they access care outside the Republic of Ireland. Social work supports the discharge planning of patients and engages in follow up reviews post discharge. Where a young person reaches adulthood, social work liaises with that young person and his/her family to support transition to adult services, where appropriate. Referrals to social work are made by other cardiac multidisciplinary team members, ward staff or by self-referral of family members directly to social work. Cardiac social work service is offered at both inpatient and outpatient departments. This service is provided to all cardiac patients attending the service.