Introduction

Spinal cord injuries are attributed to the injured spine due to accident or traumatic injury, infection and severe disease germs such as cancer or a tumour that has crowding of the spinal cord. This situation results in spinal cord swelling, hurt or injured. Injuries such as this will cause permanent changes and defects to the patient in terms of strength, sensory and functional members below that an injury or illness.

Permanent disability suffered by these patients will leave a deep impact on the emotional, social and socio-economic patient and family spinal cord injuries. In this regard, Medical Social Work Officer as the case manager should identify the needs of patients and families as well as re-evaluate this requirement during the recovery process. The main objective of this assessment done find out emotional and social needs of patients and families. The results of this evaluation, used as a tool to help patients and families are willing to live and cope with the community after patients discharged from the hospital. This setup includes maximizing knowledge and identify and address the barriers of physical, economic and emotional optimally to the patient and family.

As such, patients and families who suffer from spinal cord injuries, as it requires social support to meet and continue their lives in the community.

There are 4 aspects of social support is very important for the patient and family spinal cord injuries.

1. Emotional and Moral Support

Injuries sustained by patients suffering from spinal cord injuries will cause them to experience a variety of physiological problems, physical, mental and emotional. Life changes from normal to lose a permanent happening over the ability of physical, mental and psychosocial will cause the patient will be withdrawn and solitary, lost enthusiasm and embarrassed to go back and have to contend with the external community. If this condition persists, patients will lose the quality and life expectancy of life.

In this regard, patients suffering from spinal cord injuries need emotional support to continue their survival. This support includes empathy, anxiety management, affirmation practice love and trust. Emotional support is a method it is important to help them cope with the total change in life.

Emotional support occurred in different aspects and conditions can reduce the emotional stress of patients who are in a state of crisis. Medical Social Work officers are required to hold a special session with the expression of feelings of the patient. This important session to encourage patients to share feelings and gain relief. This process is able to free the patient from being in crisis situations and thus be able to help him work together to plan treatment and rehabilitation after the discharge from the hospital.

Medical social work officers are also required to provide overall support and detailed the process stabilizes emotions and mental connection with an individual’s mental health. Help patients in order to be able to accept and adapt to the circumstances a permanent disability with perseverance. This support is to help patients and families to enhance the potential of his strength and also help his development and social aspects in different personal circumstances from the previous situation. Help patients in order to be able to accept and adapt to the circumstances a permanent disability with perseverance. This support is to help patients and families to enhance the potential of his strength and also help his development and social aspects in different personal circumstances from the previous situation.

Case follow-up services through home visits to patient’s house are also the emotional support to patients and families. Home visit will be carried out together with multidisciplinary team members for a period of time for the strong spirit of sessions for patients and families. Instead of that, Medical Social Work Officer can also perform monitoring and review of the needs of patients and their families at the same time. Improvement needs of patients and families can take action after this session.

Emotional support given to the family of the patient can handle the tension and induce a sense of the family. Medical Social Work Officer can also assist families in providing emotional support in different forms to patients. This is because the emotional support of families have a role in creating a sense of recovery. Patients will be more satisfied and feel appreciated in their lives if doing their daily activities along with his own family members. Patients with spinal cord injuries, which receives more support from family, have a longer life and less experienced complications after trauma. Support for spouses and family members plays a vital part in creating healthier sense and improvement in the quality of life of patients of spinal cord injuries.

As such, Medical Social Work Officer must empower and inspiring family that they play an important role to build confidence and restore emotional patients. Provide recommendations and guidance to them about what they need to do before and after the patient is discharged from the ward.

2. Family / Friends / Collegues / Community Support

Assessment support involving the channelling of information to patients to pledging, responds and make social comparisons. The source of this information comes from family, friends, colleagues or resources in the community.

Changes in the opinion of the relative about disease spinal cord injuries among patients and families more easily conflict with changes on the ability in themselves. Medical Social Work Officer must motivate patients to evaluate their own opinions and abilities. During this session, patients will be encouraged to evaluate their own opinions and its ability by means of comparing his opinion with the ability of others. Through this way, the patient will know that his opinion is true or not and how much with the ability that it owns. In addition, patients are also able to use other people’s opinions and ability as a measure to motivate themselves.

Inspiring patients to make a pledge and recites the pledge may be. The pledge is part of an agreement the patient with yourself can be aroused and vibrant soul as well as the confidence to motivate them continue life without feeling hesitant with their physical condition.

3. Advisory Series Support

This advisory services, support can help the patient and family to respond to the request or a situation. Among the activities of this support is the dissemination of information about community or peer support groups and organizations like the national organization, support group and independent living centers associated with spinal cord injuries to patients and families. This information may help patients and families in finding additional information about the services and support that can help in the process of treatment and rehabilitation to plan patient lives.

The dissemination of information about treatment centres for outpatient rehabilitation treatment close to home patients either in the Government or private hospital to patients and families. The source of this information can help patients and families access health care services more easily and quickly.

Medical Social Work Officer can also encourage patients and families involved with Club Support Spinal Cord Injuries. This support Club can help those who suffer from emotional problems from various aspects of spinal cord injuries causes by providing a place for patients suffering from spinal cord injuries to share experiences and learn from club members who are also suffering from the disease of spinal cord injuries. The activities in this club will also help patients and families share information that will assist in the treatment process. For example, patients and families may be referred to Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association, Foundation Disability Information and Support Centre, Sibu Spinal Cord Injuries Association and others.

Encourage the involvement of spinal cord injury patients in special workshops to provide them the means to adapt to the situation so as to get a better quality of life. These workshops could make them strong and resilient soul. Patients will be able to accept and adapt well although at first so it’s hard to accept the reality. They will also be introduced to the position appropriate for the patient sleep, friends and carers support is very important to help patients live a normal life with optimal quality. The programme assisted the patient’s life to live everyday life like a normal human.

Support the online community inside and outside the country. Most patients spinal cord injuries related to or interact with others will provide emotional support and inspiration for them at any time they need. Participation of patients and their families in support of the online community also facilitates them to friends and share and inform about their current situation.

4. Practical Assistance Support

Instrument support or Practical Assistance support is the most direct form of concrete with social support covers assistance in the form of money, time, goods assistance and clear intervention for patients and families.

Help to analyse and explore practical assistance(material) appropriate and relevant to the needs of the patient whether assistance from government agencies or non-governmental. Exploration is important to ensure that the appropriate type of material aid given to the patient by patient assistance resources are eligible and should earn.

Patients with Social Security Organization (SOCSO) contributions that meet the criteria can be referred directly to SOCSO to aid medical equipment like a wheelchair, commode chair and roho cushion. In addition, the references to get an invalidity pension if sufficient patient contribution conditions stipulated by SOCSO. Medical Social Work Officers are required to encourage patients who are still young to participate in productive and Return To Work programmes managed by SOCSO.

While for patients who do not have the SOCSO contribution shall be referred to the help resources to get help with other medical equipment. Among other reference source is the Malaysian medical welfare fund, Medical Assistance Fund, Ministry of health Malaysia, Islamic Council or Baitulmal, Yayasan Kebajikan Negara and other sources of assistance.

Medical social work officer can also refer patients to the Department of Social Welfare for registration of persons with disabilities (PWD). Patient registration as DISABLED PERSONS in order to obtain exemption from charges hospital treatment, disability allowance, car and motorcycle licences for PWD. This vehicle licence will provide an opportunity for the patient to work again and become productive and so can reduce the financial burden of the patient and family. Even with the availability of this vehicle license can be refund the patient’s social function in the family and society. This is because the social function and social relationships with family and community is important in the lives of patients.

Conclusion

Patients with spinal cord injuries are able to return to a more independent life and quality in accordance with its capabilities to their underlying disease, provided they have gone through the reintegration process optimization and minimizing dependence on family members.

References

1. The process of confrontation with disability in patients with spinal cord injury. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208946/
2. Social Comparison Theory (Festinger) 2012. https://dhanybw.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/teori-perbandingan-sosial-festinger/
3. Social Support. http://preview.euphix.org/object_document/o5479n27411.html
4. Injury Association of Spina Sibu. http://bernama.com/bernama/state_news/bm/news.php?id=1151065&cat=srm
5. Social Work and case management time during inpatient treatment of spinal cord injury rehabilitation. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3066505/
6. Courses and Workshops “Spinal Cord Injury: Back to Community and Mobility”. http://sweet-ladybird.blogspot.my/2010/11/kursus-dan-bengkel-spinal-cord-injury.html
7. Social Support and Life Satisfaction in Spinal Cord Injury During and Up to One Year After Inpatient Rehabilitation https://Social+Support+and+Life+Satisfaction+in+Spinal+Cord+Injury
8. http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/08/22/ahli-sscia-pesakit-saraf-tunjang-harap-tidak-alone-face-on/