Medical Social Work in Malaysia

Introduction

Medical Social Work in Malaysia, provide a comprehensive and effective medical social work service at both in-patient and outpatient level to patients and their families. In the modern era of varied and complex diseases for which the medical science is unable to find out remedies, the functions of Medical Social Worker attains much importance. Our Medical Social Worker with their knowledge of the dynamics of human behaviour as well as skills in establishing purposeful relations, tries to know the patient as a ‘person’, his socio-economic conditions, his attitude towards health problems, his relationship with the family, taps community resources and acts as a liaison between the patient and community. Our service will be provides oil that enables the complicated hospital machinery to move smoothly and eficiently, assists the patients to have that peace of mind that allows them to benefit to the full from medical and surgical care and provides the important liaison with community that results in good public relations and the most effective use of resources.

Mission
Our mission is “to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people...”.

Objectives
*To help the patients solve their problems which directly or indirectly affect their medical condition while in the hospital;

*To promote continuity of family relationships and to prevent family maladjustment and disorganization during and after illness;

*To assist the doctor and other team members gain an understanding of the socio-behavioral and economic situation of patients and their families in order to arrive at a holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment; and

*To help patients and their families in their rehabilitation during confinement and after discharge by skillful use of their own resources, those of the agency and those of the community.

OUR SERVICES

a) Supporting Therapy

*Support ( helping patients and families cope with the emotional stresses that often accompany illness, separation from home and family and unfamiliar experiences )

*Counseling ( talking over problems and looking for solutions individually with a medical social worker and in a group setting that may include an outside referral )

*Marital and family caunselling ( life altering diagnosis & grief counseling)

*Specialized services for battered spouse, unmarried mothers & adoptions
( legal reporting and support planning ) .


b) Practical Assistance

*Immediate financial/practical assistance to needy patient

*Financial aid for implants & prosthesis

*Multi-disciplinary team work

*Psychosocial assessment for planning and team consult ( mental status examination & collaboration with MD`s, nurse and other team members)

*Psychosocial evaluation

*Home visits ( to confirm diagnosis, to provide social support, follow up care and social investigation and assessement of needs )

*Liaison Work

*Information and Referral ( providing information about resources for needs such as transportation, finances, legal services and vocational services )

*Legal issues ( public guardianship, immigration issues, legal referral & conservatorship-civil and psych. )

*Care of elderly/abandoned

*Geriatric with psychosocial problems

*Discharge planning ( assisting to home and intermediate care facility )

*Rehabilitation and assistance with job placement for patient

*Post-Hospital Planning ( coordinating services such as outpatient appointments and continuing supportive medical social work intervention.

*Long and short term care planning ( assessment of home & support system, anticipation of future care and home health options )

*Placement (Institution)

*Consultative and advisory services ( CAS )

c) Specific services
*Hospital Management Committee,

*Hospital Board of Visitors,

*Hospital Voluntary Services,

*Lodging / Half Way House ( Rumah Perantaraan ),

*Transit Home for abandond patient ( Pusat Jagaan Nurhasanah, Pusat Jagaan Nur Adwa),

*Fund for patient ( Tabung Kebajikan Perubatan Malaysia )

Convocation Master Medical Social Work

Pada 15hb Ogos 2009, saya secara sahnya telah dianugerahkan Ijazah Sarjana Kerja Sosial Perubatan yang telah diadakan di Dewan Canselor Tun Abdul Razak (DECTAR), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. pada majlis ini Pro Canselor, UKM Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dato' Seri (Dr.) Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid telah berkenan menyampaikan penganugerahan ini pada sidang 2, jam 1.30 petang.

Pada majlis ini saya berkesempatan berjumpa semula dengan rakan-rakan seperjuangan yang telah bertungkus lumus selama 2 tahun dalam memastikan kejayaan memperolehi ijazah sarjana ini.


Tahniah kepada rakan-rakan seperjuangan yang telah berjaya memperolehi Ijazah Sarjana Kerja Sosial Perubatan (Master Medical Social Work) iaitu:-

1. Maisarah bt Hamdan
2. Zurainathul Irwani bt Ismail
3. Ahmad Fadhlinoor bin Marican
4. Munawarah Bt Ilias

Tahniah juga kepada rakan-rakan yang telah memperoleh Sarjana Sains Kesihatan Masyarakat terutamanya kepada :-

1. Dr. Abd Razak
2. Khairol
3. Malini dan
4. Pei Ting

Semoga maju jaya.

Factors Influencing The Quality Of Life Among Elderly Receiving Primary Health Care Services In Hulu Langat District, Selangor

Harolhanam Mohamed Wahid, Rahmah Mohd Amin

ABSTRACT

Quality of life is an individual perception regarding their life status in the contact of their local cultural and value system with regard to their vision. Quality of life has two main domain components. They are physical and mental component. A cross-sectional study was carried out to examine factors influencing the quality of life among the elderly between 60 years old and above. A number of 115 respondents were recruited from all seven health clinics in the district using universal sampling. The factors studied were socio-demographic characteristics, perception towards family’s social support, perception towards friend’s social support, present and absence of depression and satisfaction towards elderly health services. Descriptive analysis, t-test, correlation and linear regression were used to analyze the data. With regards to physical component of quality of life, age, gender, education and income were found to have significant difference whilst only race showed a significant difference toward mental component. Correlation analysis showed a significant association between perception towards family’s social support, perception towards friend’s social support, and depression with physical component of quality of life. However only depression showed a significant correlation with mental component of quality of life. On further analysis using linear regression it was found that only depression gave significant value (p<0.05), and this factor contributed only 13.2 percent of the variables in physical component and 35.6 percent of the variables in mental component. As the conclusion , findings from this study suggested that mental health status of the older person being studied does contribute to their quality of life. This is further challenged with poor perception of family as well as friend social support. Hence all health staff need to be aware of the multifactor associated with quality of life among elderly.

Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Kualiti Hidup Warga Tua Yang Menerima Rawatan Kesihatan Primer Di Daerah Hulu Langat, Selangor

Harolhanam Mohamed Wahid, Rahmah Mohd Amin

ABSTRAK


Kualiti hidup adalah persepsi individu mengenai status hidup mereka dari konteks budaya dan sistem nilai di mana mereka tinggal yang berkaitan dengan matlamat, harapan dan keprihatinan diri mereka. Kualiti hidup terbahagi kepada dua komponen utama iaitu komponen fizikal dan komponen mental. Satu kajian keratan rentas telah dijalankan untuk mengkaji faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi kualiti hidup di kalangan warga tua yang berumur 60 tahun ke atas. Seramai 115 orang responden telah diambil dari tujuh buah klinik dalam daerah Hulu Langat, Selangor secara persampelan universal. Faktor-faktor yang dikaji adalah latar belakang sosiodemografi, persepsi sokongan sosial keluarga, persepsi sokongan sosial rakan, kemurungan dan kepuasan terhadap perkhidmatan kesihatan warga tua. Analisis secara deskriptif, ujian t, korelasi dan linear regresi telah digunakan untuk menganalisis data. Hasil ujian ke atas komponen fizikal kualiti hidup mendapati umur, jantina, pendidikan dan pendapatan didapati mempunyai perbezaan yang signifikan manakala hanya faktor bangsa sahaja dapat dilihat mempunyai perbezaan yang signifikan pada komponen mental kualiti hidup. Analisa menggunakan ujian korelasi menunjukkan perhubungan yang signifikan di antara persepsi sokongan sosial keluarga, persepsi sokongan sosial rakan dan kemurungan di kalangan warga tua dengan komponen fizikal kualiti hidup. Bagaimanapun hanya kemurungan di kalangan warga tua menunjukkan hubungan yang signifikan dengan komponen mental kualiti hidup. Analisa lanjut menggunakan ujian regresi linear mendapati bahawa hanya kemurungan memberikan nilai yang signifikan (P=0.004), dan faktor ini menyumbang sebanyak 13.2 peratus dalam komponen fizikal kualiti hidup dan 35.6 peratus dalam komponen mental kualiti hidup ke atas pemboleh ubah yang dikaji. Sebagai kesimpulan, penemuan dari kajian ini mendapati bahawa status kesihatan mental adalah penyumbang utama kepada tahap kualiti hidup warga tua yang dikaji. Keadaan ini dikuatkan lagi oleh rendahnya persepsi sokongan sosial keluarga dan juga rakan-rakan yang diterima oleh warga tua. Oleh yang demikian semua anggota kesihatan perlu mengambil perhatian mengenai pelbagai faktor yang punyai hubungan dengan kualiti hidup warga tua.

Seminar Warga Emas

Pada 30 Mei 2009 saya telah menghadiri Seminar Warga Emas yang telah diadakan di Hospital Kajang. Pada seminar ini saya telah membentang satu tajuk ceramah berkenaan penyelidikan saya berkaitan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi Kualiti Hidup Warga Tua yang menerima rawatan kesihatan primer di Daerah Hulu Langat Selangor. Saya juga telah menjadi ahli panel dialog bersama tiga orang panel yang terdiri daripada Ustaz Fauzi Mustaffa, Pengerusi Persatuan Pesara Kerajaan Kajang dan En. Mohiadin Bahado selaku pengerusi dialog.Sempena majlis ini Tabung Kebajikan Perubatan Malaysia (TKPM) telah menyampaikan sumbangan berbentuk Mock Cheque berjumlah RM36,000 kepada Hospital Kajang yang telah disampaikan oleh saya sendiri selaku Bendahari TKPM kepada wakil Pengarah Hospital Kajang.

Jamuan Perpisahan Bersama Pensyarah

Jamuan ini diadakan sempena tamatnya pengajian Master Sarjana Kerja Sosial Perubatan di PPUKM.Jamuan telah diadakan di Restoran Nelayan, Tasek Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur pada 28hb Mei 2009 jam 12.30 tgh hingga 2.30 ptg. Sebagai menghargai jasa para pensyarah dan kakitangan Jabatan Kesihatan Masyarakat, PPUKM saya telah menyampaikan cendermata kepada Ketua Jabatan Kesihatan Masyarakat iaitu Prof. Dr. Noor Hashim. Terima kasih kepada semua pensyarah terutama penyelia saya Dr. Rahmah dan Pn. Hazlina serta rakan-rakan Fadhli dan Munawarah yang sama-sama membantu kejayaan saya sepanjang mengikuti Kursus Master (Sarjana Kerja Sosial Perubatan)

Lawatan Ke Homestay Tg Piai

Lawatan ke Homestay Kampung Tanjung Piai diadakan pada 23hb Mei 2009 sebagai satu aktiviti peserta persidangan Pegawai Kerja Sosial Perubatan bertujuan mengenali aktiviti masyarakat setempat terutamanya budaya Masyarakat Bugis di Kg. Tg. Piai. Semasa aktiviti ini peserta telah dihidangkan dengan masakan tradisional masyarakat Bugis iaitu "Burasak" sambil disajikan dengan tarian kebudayaan masyarakat Bugis.