Objective: To understand and document the roles and utilization of clinical social workers (SW) in the care of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: The importance of an interdisciplinary and evidence-based approach to support the complex care needs of people with PD is well-documented. With a versatile set of clinical skills that attend to holistic well-being, SW are uniquely qualified to address non-motor symptoms and psychosocial challenges faced by people with PD and their families. Yet, there is a lack of literature illuminating the breadth of SW roles in the comprehensive care of PD[1].

Method: A 32-item web-based survey was distributed via email to SW who self-identified as working with PD patients in PD care teams in the US and Canada. Demographics, workplace characteristics, and SW interventions and utilization were collected, along with open-ended questions for further descriptions of experiences.

Results: A total of 39 SW with 8 mean years (SD = 8.58) working with PD in the US and Canada participated in the survey. Health care organizations funded 46.2% of the SW positions (n=18) and 35.9% SW positions were funded by a grant. The majority (74%) of SW were based in university/teaching hospital outpatient clinics. 

The top three tasks SW dedicated time to were: direct care for patients and family members (69.7% participants), biopsychosocial assessment (48.4%), and community outreach (e.g., support groups, educational programs) (30%). SW provided interventions across different stages of PD including: PD education and connection to wellness programs for newly diagnosed; mental health, referrals to allied healthcare, and coping strategies at the middle stage; and respite care, care partner strain and advance care planning in the advanced stage.  

As many as 70% of respondents felt valued by their interprofessional team but qualitative responses indicated that many SW desire more attention to mental health, increased SW support in to help meet their workload, and early introduction to SW services.

Conclusion: SW offer multifaceted and critical contributions to support emotional well-being, safety, and quality of life of people with PD and their families. This study confirms that SW are well-equipped to meet the challenges of interdisciplinary PD care. More research is needed to further define and advocate for the purposeful inclusion of SW services in the comprehensive, best practice care of PD.

References: [1] González-Ramos G, Cohen EV, Luce V, González MJ. Clinical social work in the care of Parkinson’s disease: role, functions, and opportunities in integrated health care. Social Work in Health Care 2019, 58:1, 108-125, DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2018.1544600

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