Social work for the elderly. Case work method in support of elderly patients with oncological diseases

Professional support for elderly people requires preparation to provide assistance in the face of a health loss, including oncological diseases, the risk of which increases especially at this stage of human development. A social worker asked to help a person who is struggling with an oncological disease needs to have a broad psychological, sociological and pedagogical knowledge. Working by applying the individual case method, a social worker focuses their support actions on a direct impact on the person and their social environment. Generally speaking, the purpose of the case work method is to strengthen the individual, raising their energy and internal abilities through a consciously directed process of individual work with the person, and (if the situation requires it) to extend the support by organising additional help from the specialised institutions , appropriate for solving a given problem. The theoretical background for the effective implementation of the case work method at the stage of diagnosis, then preparation of an assistance plan and implementation of planned intervention activities in the area of assistance to the elderly patients with an oncological disease, may be the concept of A. Maslow. It turns out that the usefulness of this theoretical concept has been repeatedly verified in practice, in processes of identifying the needs of seniors and planning interventions by social workers when dealing with the extremely difficult experience of an oncological disease in late adulthood. The advantage of the theoretical background discussed is that it indicates specific areas of biopsychosocial functioning, which requires concentration and diagnostic sensitivity of social workers in contact with a senior person that goes beyond the standard assessment of the client needs. The aim of this article is to bring closer the theoretical basis for diagnostic and intervention actions that can be undertaken by a social worker providing support to the seniors submitted to oncological treatment.