Social Services

 

Social Services Department:

Social Services department in KFSH&RC was established in 1979. The Department consist of the following sections:

  • Social Work
  • Independent Living Donor Advocacy
  • Recreational Therapy
  • Mortuary

 

Social Work:

Social Workers provide essential services to patients and plays an integral role in accomplishing the mission of KFSH&RC by helping patients and their families cope with the challenges and problems caused by illness or quality of life changes.  These essential services include:

  1. Visit patients upon admission and conduct Psychosocial Assessment and inform them about the role of the social worker and the services provided by social services department.
  2. Help patients overcome social difficulties and support their families during the treatment process by identifying and assessing their social challenges. Provide financial aid or referral to charities in Riyadh, based on the assessment.
  3. Provide guidance and social support to patients and their families, as well as help them overcome fear and anxiety.
  4. Work closely with the medical team to ensure provision of comprehensive treatment plan.
  5. Ensure Outpatient continuity of care in terms of social need; by conducting home visit in collaboration with Home Health Care department.
  6. Crises intervention with child/adult abuse and reporting the cases to concerned government agencies
  7. Provide professional consultation during the patient’s transplant process
  8. Identify cases that require the attention of Ministry of Social Affairs and guide them on how to get financial assistance or avail medical equipment’s through dedicated programs.
  9. Identify patients who suffer from incurable diseases and provide them letters to MOH for obtainment of free air tickets during follow up appointments.
  10. Provide temporary housing facilities to patients who undergo transplant procedures in KFSH&RC, or patients who receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy and other therapies in outpatient’s clinics. Or Introduce patients and their attendants to charities that offer housing services.
  11. Arrange transportation for female patients with kidney failure and on Hemodialysis in order to help them overcome the difficulties of reaching the hospital.
  12. Collaborate with Ministry of Education for In-house education program targeting hospitalized school student to ensure their continuity of learning.
  13. Counseling Clinics established to provide social services support to oncology patients; such as: emotional support, coaching and consultation services during their treatment journey.
  14. Participate in the educational programs and awareness campaigns organized by the hospital.
  15. Cooperate with charity organizations, by highlighting patients' financial and social needs through regular meetings and raise the level of support services.
  16. Train the social service interns across various universities.
  17. Identifying social cases that need immediate attention and follow up with them.

 

Independent Living Donor Advocate:

  1. Advises safeguards and supports the rights and autonomy of the living donor throughout the whole
  2. process of donation – including evaluation, donation, and discharge phases.
  3. Represents, promotes, and respects the living donors’ decision and ensures that it is made free from coercion.
  4. Educates the potential donor regarding the medical, psychosocial, financial implications of living donation.
  5. Explains evaluation process, including the right to self-withdraw from living donation at any time during the evaluation process.
  6. Ensures donor has an in-depth understanding of the potential risks and benefits related to living donation.
  7. Communicates any issues or concerns raised during the living donor advocate assessment with the appropriate member of the multi-disciplinary team.

 

Recreation Therapy:

Play therapy is a form of therapy help meet the emotional needs of a child who is in the hospital A Professionally trained recreational therapist works closely with the medical team to help children and young adolescent to gain insight and understanding of their experience and develop coping strategies.

The therapist also provides the following:

  1. one on one recreational activity to pediatric and young adolescent patients
  2. Organize group recreational activities
  3. Actively plan and organize celebration of the national holidays such as (Eid Al-Fitr...etc). for hospitalized patients
  4. Participate in planning and executing the in-house education program

 

Mortuary:

  1. Oversees activities in the morgue and ensure religious washing of deceased Muslims. In addition to participate in burial arrangement.
  2. Advises relatives of the deceased patient in matters related to death and bereavement.
  3. Ensures religious washing and burial arrangements for deceased Muslims.
  4. Assist and guide family of non -Muslim deceased and provide them with the requirements for transferring the body
  5. Assist family of deceased female in arranging a female body washer from the Community.
  6. Contacts cemeteries and prepares needed documents according to Hospital Policies and as required by Law to facilitate all matters related to burial of the deceased.