The Emergency room

Matthew is an 80 year old white male who was brought to the emergency room by his neighbor, after finding him after he had fallen in his yard. He was unable to get up on his own and the neighbor thought he should be examined at the ER. Matthew’s x-rays all came back fine.

It was discovered that his blood sugar was low, which caused his dizziness, resulting in him falling. He was also a bit dehydrated. After examining him, the nurse heard his story. She thought the social worker may be able to help him in some way, so she called him/her in to meet with Matthew.

Matthew just lost his wife of 40 years. He states he is just lost without her. He has two children. One lives locally and the other lives in California. He has been active in church with his wife until recent health problems have prevented him from attending. He gets by on his Social Security, but worries it may not be enough since his wife’s income is no longer present.

He states he is lonely and feels sad. He isn’t sleeping well and barely has an appetite. He knows it is important to eat a healthy diet, because he has diabetes and must keep on a schedule. His wife did the cooking and cleaning while she could. He also worries about keeping his yard clean and mowed. You are the medical social worker.

After selecting your case study, answer the following questions:

1. Meeting One: Introduce yourself to your client, including the agency in which you work. Be sure to explain the purpose of your agency and what services you can provide for your client.

2. After creating your client, identify his/her strengths and weaknesses. These will help you decide on interventions in the future.

3. Describes which interventions could be used. Label each as micro, mezzo, or macro. This helps you begin your role-play project.