Social workers, Surgical Hospital

In the social work unit of the Surgical Hospital, we are responsible for the following wards and outpatient clinics: Hearing Center for adults, Hearing Center for children, Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases Outpatient Clinic, Ward K6 and outpatient clinic operations, Ambulatory Surgery Unit for Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Oral Diseases Outpatient Clinic, Vascular Surgery, Dialysis Unit, external dialysis in Malmi and Pitäjänmäki, Breast Surgery Unit and Outpatient Clinic.

Social work is part of the entity of services in your care and rehabilitation operations in the hospital. You can discuss the issues affecting your individual situation with a social worker. The social worker supports you so that you are able to receive social services and benefits in a timely manner at different stages of your illness and rehabilitation.

We offer assistance, e.g. in the following matters:

• sickness allowance, rehabilitation allowance, pensions, and disability benefits
• vocational rehabilitation, travel and medical expenses, and children’s benefits
• statutory insurance (accident at work, occupational disease, and traffic accident)
• means-tested income support and housing
• severe illness, disability, and rehabilitation planning
• patient’s concerns and life situation, and support for families with children
• crisis situation and psychosocial support 
• mental health and substance abuse services
• services for victims of crime
• foreigners, undocumented persons, and clarifications related to domicile issues
• notification of the need for support for a person in need of specific support
• welfare guardianship matters
• appeals and complaints.

If necessary, the social worker will cooperate with various other actors. The services of health-related social work are available to all patients, families and relatives, and are confidential and free of charge. You can contact the social worker either by phone or through the nursing staff.

Each ward and outpatient clinic has a designated social worker, who can be reached on weekdays during office hours. You can contact the social worker yourself or it can be done by a family member or by the nursing staff who are caring for you.