Appraisal of Social Work and Healthcare in Singapore

Singapore Social Work and Healthcare
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Question One: a)
Cancer is a chronic condition that causes changes throughout different stages of the illness. The unforeseen changes force patients and their families to adjust and cope with the new situation. John Rollands Family Systems-illness model describes the time phases of illness. The model explains three phases of illness, including the crisis phase, the chronic phase, and the terminal phase (Rolland & Walsh, 2022). The crisis phase is the period before diagnosis and the first treatment preparation. During this phase, people experience uncertainty and denial. They learn to understand and cope with the illness, adjust to healthcare settings, create a relationship with healthcare providers, grieve the loss of good health, and develop goals for the future, such as chemotherapy sessions.
The chronic phase is the period between the initial diagnosis and the terminal illness phase. During this phase, people learn to live with the changes brought about by the illness. For instance, they accept new diet prescriptions and restrictions and follow medication. They adopt a new normal while maintaining the autonomy of family members considering the effects of the illness. The terminal phase is the last phase, where people anticipate loss and inevitably think about death. During this phase, the cancer patient's health deteriorates and eventually leads to death. This phase requires family support and helping patients live fully during their last moments. After death, the family mourns and learns to cope with the loss as they return to everyday life.
Question One: b)
When an individual is diagnosed with cancer, it interferes with the person's development and the family's development. Illness interrupts the phases of the family life cycle and makes it difficult to predict the future. The life cycles include leaving home, family formation, childbearing, child rearing, child launching, and empty nest (Rolland, 2019). The initial impact of cancer on the individual is shock, denial, and anxiety. The affected person cannot leave home and start a family due to incapacitation. The illness denies an individual a sense of self-responsibility and delays establishing themselves away from their family.
The sickness of a loved one increases stress within the family and changes the family's relationship and structure. The timing of disease onset influences the development of the family. For instance, if one spouse is affected during the early childbearing age, it may limit the bearing of more children. The family's sole breadwinner may also strain while juggling caregiving and child-rearing.
Question One: c)
Medical social workers directly assist patients just diagnosed with cancer and those still on treatment. They provide financial assistance to partly cover medical expenses. Cancer care can be financially draining to families as it requires expensive interventions. Medical social workers may arrange for co-pay assistance by settling part of the hospital bill, catering for transport, or home care services.
In addition, medical social workers directly impact cancer patients by ...