Palliative Social Work in Romania

Abstract

Abstract In Romania, palliative social work has gone a long way in the last decade, toward development and clarity. More than 150,000 people per year could benefit from palliative care in Romania if appropriate programs and providers were accessible and affordable. In 2012, only 6% of the need for palliative care was met; by 2018, it grew to 12%. The number of hospice facilities does not meet the needs of patients. Future planning by the Palliative Care Strategic Working Group includes increasing home care for support within the family. The Orthodox church in Romania previously funded little related to hospice and palliative care, but many new ongoing projects are now funded. While the competencies and the roles of the social worker are clear, palliative care services exist in Romania that do not include social workers on their care teams. The ongoing work to be done includes ensuring a standardization in the way professionals work with patients and families, the inclusion of a palliative care module in the university curricula, and providing continuous supervision and consultation for the palliative social workers.