The Department of Social Work Services by Topic
A Support and Informational Group for Patients with Parkinson's Disease
Participants are young patients at the early stages of the disease and are treated at the Parkinson's and Movement Disorder Clinic. The group objectives include working through emotional difficulties of Parkinson's Disease, the acquisition of every day coping tools, the creation of a peer group, the provision of information regarding rights and eligibility.
Support Groups for Patients who have undergone Bone Marrow Transplant
Separate groups for men and women, ages 45-60, are available for bone marrow transplant patients six months after their procedure. The group provides support to participants to help them return to social, occupational and familial situations. Topics covered vary from group to group. The men's group may focus on work issues, while the women's group may address issues concerning quality of life, body image, sexuality and partnership.
Single-Session Groups for Patients and Families
Single-session groups run in all the inpatients wards in the Division of Internal Medicine. All patients and family members are invited to attend. The leadership is multi-disciplinary and is carried out by social workers and nurses. Group leaders provide information regarding discharge planning, patient rights and benefits, options of support and assistance in the community. An additional aim of the group is encourage family members to participate in the care of the patient, together with the hospital personnel.
Treatment Groups for Children with Hemophilia and their Families
A variety of groups are provided for young patients with hemophilia, their parents and grandparents. The groups address issues such as coping with anxiety, anger and guilt. The groups facilitate the improvement of interpersonal relationships and greater involvement in the care of the child and family planning. An opportunity is provided to increase knowledge of the illness.
Summer Camps for Children with Hemophilia
Summer camps for children with Hemophilia are organized, in part, by social workers from Sheba's Medical Center. These camps are an essential opportunity for the children to forge social relationships within their peer group and to learn from one another's experiences. The camp provides a framework for having fun while benefiting from close medical attention.
A Preparatory Group for Patients undergoing Hip or Knee Replacement
Participants in the hip or knee replacement group include patients as well as family members. The intervention takes place approximately one month before surgery, the objective being the reduction of anxiety, through information regarding the procedure, recovery and requirements for adaptation of the patient's home.
Support for Patients who have experienced their First Cardiac Episode
A support group for patients and families following a first cardiac episode takes place in the Institute of Cardiology. The aim of the group is to allow the participants to express their emotions, to reduce levels of anxiety and to promote emotional and social adaptation in all aspects of life. This is done through information and guidance with regard to risk factors of the illness and the recommended life style.
Parents of Children in the Nursery Schools of the Child Development Institute
This group is composed of parents of children in the diagnostic and rehabilitation nursery schools. Objectives include the provision of information regarding treatment given in the school in the fields of communication, music therapy, occupational therapy, psychology etc. Parents are helped to cope with social responses to their child with special needs, the reactions and behaviors of siblings, difficulties and anxieties experienced by parents regarding the future of the children.
A Support Group for Teenagers in the Pediatric Rehabilitation Department
The pediatric rehabilitation group is for teenagers, ages 14-18, undergoing rehabilitation in the inpatient, day-care and outpatient facilities of the department. The group provides a setting for participants to raise and discuss dilemmas and personal difficulties and to learn from one another. Objectives include the acquisition of coping and adaptation skills, and a reduction of feelings of loneliness, isolation and abnormality.
A Program for Children and Families involved in a Motor Vehicle Accident
The motor vehicle accident group addresses the specific needs of children and their families who have been involved in an accident by providing a differential service according to the condition of the child. The program covers both instrumental and emotional issues and ensures maximum utilization of rights and benefits.
A Support Group for Teenagers with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
This group brings together teenagers dealing with common issues unfamiliar to their peers at school or in other frameworks in which they are involved. The meetings give them an opportunity to raise issues without embarrassment and with a sense of camaraderie. They adopt coping strategies from one another and find within the framework an alternate peer group which is essential during the adolescent stage for the development of independence and a sense of self. Issues discussed also include the medical aspects of the illness.
Areparation Group for Parents of Children about to undergo Cardiac Catheterization
Parents in this group are provided with information by a multi-disciplinary team on congenital heart defects. Topics covered include the catheterization itself, procedures leading up and following the catheterization and information aimed at developing parents' ability to prepare their children and siblings. The group also provides parents with an opportunity to vent their feelings and to learn from others sharing the same experience.
A Support Group for Parents of Infants who underwent an Apparent Life Threatening Event
This group is multi-disciplinary in nature and is aimed at empowering parents of infants who have experienced a sudden cessation of breathing. Through information and a supportive environment, parents in this group are able to openly express their feelings of fear and anxiety. They also develop suitable coping strategies and learn the necessary skills for dealing with home monitoring.
A Ggroup for Women undergoing IVF Treatment
This group is a unique project of the IVF Unit and is headed by a senior researcher in the field of occupational therapy at the Tel Aviv University in collaboration with the director of the Immunology Unit and the Gertner Institute of Epidemiology. Using a multi-disciplinary approach based on cognitive behavioral principles as well as the concepts of body-mind medicine, this group aims at helping participants regain their sense of control and develop strategies for reducing stress. Participants are taught how to modify perceptions and consider alternatives to achieve greater well being. Yoga experts as well as nutritionists participate in the program. Through the teaching of stress management techniques, the group has demonstrated its effectiveness in alleviating stress and restoring a sense of control for both the patient and her partner.
A Support Group for Women treated in the Gyneco-Oncology Unit
The aim of this group is to develop the coping ability of women returning to their regular routines after completing the first stage of chemotherapy. Participants discuss the difficulties related to continuing a regular routine alongside continuing medical follow-up and the possibility of a recurrence of the illness.
A Support Group for Care-Takers of Patients with Memory Disturbances
This group is aimed at providing support for the partners or main caretakers of patients suffering from dementia, who typically deal with pressure and stress arising from the situation. The program aids in stress management by informing the participants about the illness and its stages, coping strategies and available community services.
Groups for Patients in the Geriatric Division and their Families
Separate support groups related to geriatrics run in the different inpatient departments. Group composition varies to include any combination of families, patients and newly admitted patients. Groups focus on preparing the participants for the challenges that follow hospitalization including coping with illness, disability and changes in roles. Information is also provided about social benefits, optimal utilization and assistance in discharge planning.
Short Term Home Nursing Aid to Holocaust Survivors Post Discharge from Hospital
Approximately 30% of patients in the Internal Medicine, Geriatric and Surgery Departments are survivors of the holocaust. The unique emotional and physical implications of holocaust trauma are compounded during hospitalization and at times of illness. These implications typically have an intergenerational effect. Intra-familial relationships are further complicated when family members become caretakers. In recognition of this problem hospital social workers initiated a program in collaboration with "The Foundation for the Well-being of the Holocaust Survivor", which provides short-term immediate nursing assistance following discharge for a period of five weeks. The social workers in the hospital carry out the submission of requests for those who are eligible for the aid.
Psychiatry Open Conversation Group
This group is run according to the principle of "open conversation", and addresses topics presented by the participants. All topics are accepted for discussion, but those that arouse interest among the majority of the participants are given preference. Typical topics include interpersonal relations, events occurring during hospitalization, emotions associated with the implications of the illness, etc.
A Dynamic Group in the Day Care Department
Patients from the age of 18 who come for psychiatric day care participate in this open group intervention program. Its aims include improving interpersonal relations and promoting adaptation to the psychiatric department.
A Support Group for Women
An open group for women in psychiatric day care, which provides an opportunity to raise issues related to their experiences as psychiatric patients.
Psycho-Social Intervention for Rehabilitating Soldiers
The Social Work Department plays an important role in the rehabilitation of soldiers injured during military service, either during combat or in road accidents. The lengthy hospitalization requires major changes in lifestyle both for the soldier and his/her family. Intervention focuses on rights and benefits unitization, facilitating emotionally coping with the physical changes, the majority leading to permanent impairment. This comprehensive intervention is carried out in close collaboration with members of the multi-disciplinary team such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Activities include modification of the soldiers' homes to accommodate physical changes and requirements, organization of wheelchairs and other medical equipment. The Social Work Department also coordinates groups of volunteers who work with the soldiers on a regular basis.
A Group for Patients in the Department for Eating Disorders
This group deals with the implications and challenges of discharge following a lengthy hospitalization. The group promotes control over symptoms. Members of the group discuss such topics as the connection between sexuality and eating disorders.
