Chabot College
Fall 2002
Removed Fall 2010
Course Outline for Sociology 63
SOCIAL WORKER DESIGNEE TRAINING
Catalog Description:
63 – Social Worker Designee Training
2 units
Defines the responsibilities of the person designated as social worker in skilled and
intermediate care facilities serving a predominantly elder population. The focus of the
course is identifying and meeting the medically-related social and emotional needs of the
frail elderly, chronically ill, cognitively impaired and sub-acute resident that places them
within the context of past history, current status, and future goals. Designed to provide the
student with the tools, theory, and skills needed to satisfy State regulations as outlined in
Title 22. 2 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 35]
Prerequisite Skills:
None.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
describe the role of the nursing home in the health and well being of elders in longterm care, sub-acute, rehab and skilled nursing residents;
provide initial orientation upon admission;
identify the elder's needs including: psychosocial, financial, equipment, discharge
planning, home health care, and routine appointment needs;
prepare resident care plan, goals, strategies and resources to meet needs;
facilitate family meetings and offer supportive counseling;
coordinate discharge services that include community resources;
recognize the differences in needs between the frail elderly, chronically ill
cognitively impaired and sub-acute or rehabilitation resident;
provide all documentation required by facility guidelines and State
regulations.
Course Content:
1.
Entry points into the long-term continuum:
a.
The nursing home’s place in the health care delivery system
b.
Levels of care
c.
Licensing of facilities and agencies
2.
Responsibilities of social service workers in long-term care:
a.
Identification of psychosocial problems
b.
Plans for intervention and problem solving
c.
Social worker designee as a team member in relationship to other
team players and ancillary staff
d.
The social worker as consultant
e.
The social worker as advocate
Chabot College
Course Outline for Sociology 63
Fall 2002
Page 2
Course Content (Cont'd):
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
The social service assessment:
a.
Development of the care plan
b.
The interdisciplinary care conference
c.
Reasonable goals and outcome measures
Chronic illness and the quality of life:
a.
Discussion of the major chronic illnesses and their physical,
psychological and social ramifications
Psychological problems of the elderly:
a.
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
b.
Depression
c.
Medications, their psychological and physical effects, including
negative side affects
Financial resources of the elderly:
a.
Cost of long-term care
b.
Entitlement programs such as Social Security, SSI, Medicare, MediCal, In-Home Supportive Services, Veterans Benefits
c.
Community based programs of assistance
d.
The social worker as financial counselor
Specific social work skills and techniques:
a.
Interviewing skills (client centered listening)
b.
Establishing rapport with resident and family
c.
Counseling with residents
d.
Family and group counseling
The impact of nursing home care on the resident’s family:
a.
Obtaining social history
b.
Family systems: including family as members of the resident health
care team
c.
Family education
d.
Family support groups
Protecting the rights of the frail elderly
a.
Patients’ rights
b.
Elder abuse
c.
The role of the Ombudsman
d.
Social work ethics
e.
Helping to interpret these rights to staff
Social services to the terminally ill
a.
Understanding the needs of the dying resident
b.
Understanding the meaning of death to oneself and to others
c.
Spiritual aspects
d.
No code situations
Chabot College
Course Outline for Sociology 63
Fall 2002
Page 3
Course Content (Cont'd):
11.
12.
13.
Bioethics and the elderly:
a.
Medical interventions at the end of life
b.
Durable power of attorney for health care
c.
The living will
d.
Bioethics in the long-term care facility, legal ramifications
Transitions between levels of care:
a.
Discharge planning
b.
Networking with community agencies
Developing and nurturing community resources:
a.
Interpret the mission and program of the facility to the public
b.
Recruitment, training, and supervision of volunteers
c.
Obtaining community group support for the residents
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Lecture
Guided discussion
Small group activities and presentations
Audio-visual material
Observations
Assignment and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1.
Typical Assignments
a.
In-class group activities that evaluate placements in institutional settings and
the appropriateness of the placement for the elder
b.
In-class group activities that evaluates the psychosocial needs in an
institutional setting based upon the elders observed behavior
c.
Out-of-class observation and evaluation of attitudes of service providers
towards the elder as a frail adult, in skilled nursing versus the elder as a child
d.
In-class discussion of case studies counseling residents and families
e.
Formal and informal student presentations
2.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a.
Grades A – F, according to performance on quizzes, midterm, final,
presentations and written assignments, e.g. assessments, observations, elder
counsel etc.
b.
Clarity, and critical thinking as presented in both individual and group
assignments
c.
Student projects that demonstrate application of practical tools and charting,
documentation, and assessment
Chabot College
Course Outline for Sociology 63
Fall 2002
Page 4
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Long Term Care for Activity and Social Service Professionals, Best Martini, E., Weeks,
M.A., Wirth, P. (2000) Idyll Arbor, Inc, 2001, or latest edition.
Special Student Materials:
None
Tf: A: /WORD/SOC63.DOC
Revised-2-8-2002