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Social work practice in perinatal palliative care: an overview.

Solimar Santiago-Warner
Published in: Social work in health care (2024)
Social workers in Perinatal Palliative Care (PPC) play an essential role in caring for birthing people carrying a baby with a life-limiting condition and their families. Perinatal palliative care is consistent with social work values concerning fostering quality of life and promoting social justice and access to care. Social workers play a multidimensional role in providing a holistic approach to caring for the birthing person, baby, and family. Although social workers may be part of an interdisciplinary care team, their role is not defined solely by the goals of the greater team, nor has it been discussed in depth in the perinatal palliative care literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe the knowledge, values, and skills essential to the role of the social worker in a hospital-based perinatal palliative care team. A case study will be used to illustrate the relevant practices, and implications are outlined.
Keyphrases
  • palliative care
  • healthcare
  • advanced cancer
  • mental health
  • pregnant women
  • systematic review
  • quality improvement
  • chronic pain