How are you feeling? It depends who’s asking

In this video Sharna describes the unique position of the social worker. Not the same as a doctor or nurse, who patients may expect to be interested only in their medical prognosis. But not the same as a family members either, with whom they might not have the type of relationship in which they share intimate details about themselves.

From this unique position – a trusted professional, separate from the family, but not entirely in the world of the medical – Sharna’s curiosity elicits a powerful and useful response from her patient, providing insight into the familial loss and separation that can sit behind a seemingly “difficult” patient.

As we’ll hear next from Dr Scanlan, staff working in care homes can also find themselves in unique and important positions when it comes to holding expertise and intimate knowledge of a patient nearing the end of life.