Sometimes social work isn’t just about sitting with a client and talking. There are times when clients need action and have no one close who can help them. One client I have been seeing, for example, is an inpatient for rehabilitation following a stroke. He found himself unable to use the disposable razors offered by the hospital to shave. He wanted an electric shaver but unfortunately he has no family or friends who could pick one up for him. In that moment, in his mind that shaver was the...

Multi-Disciplinary Teams in Healthcare

According to Tanaka (2003), it has become widely recognised that multidisciplinary team care plays a critical role in today’s medical practice. The Geriatric and Rehabilitation Unit (GARU), functioning under the umbrella of Queensland Health, is a medical unit where I am doing my first student placement. This unit is made up of a team of allied health professionals; doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers, and dietic...