Case Presentation

By: Brittany Floyd

Background
Information:
O 55 year old African American male
O Lives with his cousin
O Client is single and has no children
O Client does not use any alcohol, tobacco, or illicit

drugs.
O Patient is disabled from his janitorial position.
O Patients mother is deceased after being raped
and murdered. The father is deceased from
unknown etiology. His brother is deceased from
complications of diabetes mellitus. Within the
family, there is history of diabetes and
hypertension.

Problem Statement:
O Client was admitted into the hospital due to abdominal

pain and Anasarca, which is swelling of the skin due to

effusion of fluid.
O He was diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure)
and diabetes. With the diabetes, the client states he is
noticing sores forming on this feet. Client has also been
diagnosed with a gastric mass, asthma, and has a history
of gastrointestinal bleeding.
O Client states that he often runs out of food and also has
limited supported structure from family and friends.
O Client has health literacy concerns in which he is unable to
read and write.
O Client is also unable to transport himself to doctor
appointments.

Services:
O Currently has diabetic supplies and durable medical

equipment at home.
O While in the hospital, I helped, along with the case
management team, to arrange home health services
for this client. We felt that he would be more benefit
more with this service considering that he has
limited support from family and friends.
O This patient is also on the hospitals Chronic Care
Transitions Program, which is a four-week program
where the social worker will visit the patient to see if
needs are being met. A nurse also calls the patient
weekly to check and see if he has any concerns.

Strengths and
Limitations:
Strengths:
O Patient is very

concerned about
his health and he
wants to get
better.

Limitations:
O Patient has

limited support
from family and
friends. Patient
also has mental
limitations that
affect his learning
capabilities.

Assessment Goals:
O The goals were to assess the client

for any needs after discharge.

Interventions:
O Assess caregiver abilities to make

sure the client is taken care of.

O Coordinate educational needs of
patient and family
O Gave the client information on food
banks and helped to arrange
transportation to and from doctor
appointments.
O Also, helped arranged home health
services for the client.

What biases did I have?

O Before assessing the patient in the hospital setting,

I read in the patients background information

where he has difficulties reading and writing.
Therefore, I thought that it would be hard to
communicate with him due to his mental
limitations.
O Before assessing the patient on a home visit, the
environment was questionable due to arguing and
cursing going on within the home between the
client and his cousin. The patient insisted that we
conduct the assessment outside on his porch.
Therefore, I did have concerns about the clients
safety.

Value Differences between

the Client and I:
O There were no value differences

between the patient and myself.

Life experiences of the

Client:
O Considering that the client has

family members who have passed

away due to the same diagnoses,
the client wants to better himself
and do what he can to prevent any
further complications.

Staff recommendations about

diagnosis, interventions, or treatment?
O The case management team, as well as the

doctors and nurses, believed that the

patient would benefit more effectively with
home health services. This way an aide can
go in and make sure the client is taking his
meds as prescribed and is getting the
nutrition he needs to maintain his sugar
levels. The aide can also help the client with
checking his feet regularly due to being a
diabetic. By doing so, the client will be able
to prevent amputation from occurring.

What does research say about

the diagnosis of this patient?
O Considering that the patient has

diabetes, the patient should limit his

sugar intake and monitor blood
sugar levels. Also with hypertension,
the patient should take his
medications, limit salt intake,
exercise, and reduce his stress
levels.

What changes does the client

recommend for the agency or service?
O Patient stated that he wished the

agency would have been clear and

more precise about his diagnoses
and how to take action in getting
treatment.

Conceptual Framework Used:

O Ecological Systems Theory was used

when assessing this patient because

this theory looks at the person and
their environment as to why they
behave or make the decisions that
they choose.

Competencies Used:
O

Competency 1: Identify as a
professional social worker and
conduct oneself accordingly.

O
O

O
O

O
O
O

Competency 2: Apply social work

ethical principles to guide
professional practice.

Competency 3: Apply critical

thinking and communicate
professional judgments.

O
O

Gen. 1.1 Advocate for client access to the

services of social work.
Gen. 1.2 Practice personal reflection and
self-correction to assure continual
professional development.
Gen. 1.3 Attend to professional roles and
boundaries.
Gen 1.4 Demonstrate professional
demeanor in behavior, appearance, and
communication.
Gen 1.5 Engage in career-long learning.
Gen 1.6 Use supervision and consultation.
Gen 2.1 Recognize and manage personal
values in a way that allows professional
values to guide practice.
Gen 2.2 Make ethical decisions by
applying the NASW code of ethics and, as
applicable, of the International Federation
of Social Workers/International Association
of Schools of Social Work Ethics in Social
Work, Statement of Principles.
Gen 3.1 Distinguish, appraise, and
integrate multiple sources of knowledge,
including research based knowledge, and
practice wisdom.
Gen 3.2 Analyze models of assessment,
prevention, intervention, and evaluation.
Gen 3.3 Demonstrate effective oral and
written communication in working with
individuals, families, groups, organizations,
communities, and colleagues.

Competencies Used Cont.

O

Competency 4 Engage diversity

and differences in practice.

Competency 5: Advance human

rights and social and economic
justice.

O
O

Gen 4.1 Recognize the extent to

which a cultures structures and
values may oppress, marginalize,
alienate, or create or enhance
privilege and power.
Gen 4.2 Gain sufficient selfawareness to eliminate the influence
of personal biases and values in
working with diverse groups.
Gen 4.3 Recognize and communicate
their understanding of the
importance of difference in shaping
life experiences.
Gen 4.4 View themselves as learners
and engage those with whom they
work as informants.
Gen 5.1 Understand the forms and
mechanisms of oppression and
discrimination.
Gen 5.2 Advocate for human rights
and social and economic justice
Gen 5.3 Engage in practices that
advance social and economic justice

Competencies Used Cont.

O

Competency 6 Engage in researchinformed practice and practiceinformed research.

Competency 7 Apply Knowledge of
human behavior and the social
environment.

O
O
O

Competency 8 Engage in policy

practice to advance social and
economic well-being and to deliver
effective social work services.
Competency 9 Respond to context
that shape practice.

Gen 6.1 Use practice experience to

inform scientific inquiry.
Gen 6.2 Use research evidence to
inform practice
Gen 7.1 Utilize conceptual frameworks
to guide the processes of assessment,
intervention, and evaluation.
Gen 7.2 Critique and apply knowledge
to understand person and
environment.
Gen 8.1 Analyze, formulate, and
advocate for policies that advance
social well-being.
Gen 9.1 Continuously discover,
appraise, and attend to changing
locales, populations, scientific and
technological developments, and
emerging societal trends to provide
relevant services.

Competencies Used Cont.

O

Competency 10 Engage, assess,

intervene, and evaluate with
individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities.

O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O

Gen 10.1 Substantively and

affectively prepare for action with
individuals, families, groups,
organizations, and communities.
Gen 10.2 Use empathy and other
interpersonal skills.
Gen 10.4 Collect, organize, and
interpret client data.
Gen 10.5 Assess client strengths and
limitations.
Gen 10.6 Develop mutually agreedon intervention goals and objectives.
Gen 10.7 Select appropriate
intervention strategies.
Gen 10.10 Help clients resolve
problems.
Gen 10.11 Negotiate, mediate, and
advocate for clients.
Gen 10.12 Facilitate transitions and
endings.