Social Services

Shaare Zedek Medical Center offers support and counseling to patients and their family members for issues arising as a result of the injury or illness:

• Coping emotionally with changes in physical functioning
• Coping with the effects of extended hospitalization
• Assistance in establishing patient-family communication channels
• Therapy in cases of depression: post-partum; prolonged, chronic or terminal illness; difficult treatments; disability
• Preparation for complex treatments and follow-up
• Support after the death of a family member and assistance with arrangements
• Assisting patients and family members with technical aspects of the hospital stay
• Planning to leave the hospital: accompanying the family through the transition to home life and the daily routine, contacting medical and para-medical professionals in the community to ensure continuation of care, assisting with Bituach Leumi (National Insurance Institute) and helping with patient's rights

We make every effort to minimize the social, psychological and economic ramifications the patient’s medical condition may have on the patient and his or her family. Most treatments are individual or for the family, but we also offer group therapy for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients, parents of children on dialysis, patients facing cardio-thoracic surgery, patients before discharge, hematology patients, diabetic children, women hospitalized due to high-risk pregnancy, and more. Other group sessions are opened as the need arises.

Our social workers also fulfill a vital role in the hospital's preparedness to treat victims of mass-casualty events and terror attacks.

We have more than 30 experienced social workers on staff, most of whom hold a MSW (Masters degree in Social Work) with specialization in a specific medical field and routinely participate in conferences, professional forums and advanced courses in Israel and abroad.