[Home medical support for an elderly patient and his family]

We provided a support for a 70s male patient diagnosed with chronic subdural hemorrhage and his family. This patient was supposed to move to another hospital for further medical treatments. However, we found some financial problems associated with this family. We then decided the patient should be treated best at home instead of the patient to be at another hospital. In doing so, we arranged a social worker with a background in home medical care for the patient. Meanwhile, the care manager and home visiting nurse instructed general homecare know-how to the family. Consequently, the patient was discharged from our hospital smoothly. In order to be successful in home medical support, a social worker should have a leading role with the following qualities: (1) Anticipate and assess the needs of daily livings for the patient and his family in addition to the home medical knowledge. (2) Provide necessary information for a decision making process on behalf of the patient and his family in regard to homecare medicine. (3) Be a homecare coordinator to the patient, his family, care manager and visiting nurse.