Social worker vs Case Manager

[zosynallergy]

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What is the difference between the social worker and the case manger?

Both their jobs seem the same and all the descriptions online are seem pretty vague.

 

[bobow98]

case manager = former RN who now deals with reimbursements and all things related to the hospital stay when it comes to discharge, services, rehab, etc. You talk to them when you want to get the patient out. They are very important.

social worker = help with all non medical related things; they can help with family issues, social issues, ...a few other things as well. but in my mind for inpt medicine case manager is very important to communicate with at least on a daily basis esp as your pt nears discharge.

 

[HelpPleaseMD]

What is the difference between the social worker and the case manger?

Both their jobs seem the same and all the descriptions online are seem pretty vague.

social worker = helps set patient up for things outside the patients home i.e. rehab
case manager = helps set patient up for things needed inside patients home i.e home pt

 

[smartparts]

you're always chasing them = social worker
they're always chasing you = case manager

 

[drk]

Page both to get them on board before you initially see your patient. This MIGHT get the patient discharged in a timely manner. Probably not though.

 

[LoudBark]

Social Workers tend be younger and cuter girls who got their MSW. They are more pleasant both on the eyes and to deal with in person.

Case managers tend to be former RN's who are middle aged and medium build and kinda grumpy a lot of times because they spend years as a nurse first and got burned out from the daily grind of being a nurse and decided to become a case manger.

 

[bronx43]

Case manager - basically useless, since in reality, you can write your own discharge instructions, talk to social workers, and patients can or should be able to make their own appointments. Sure, they lighten your work load, but their contribution is typically redundant. Only time they are of value is when they set up home health.

Social worker - useful because I have no idea how to be a liaison to ECFs, SNFs, LTACs, etc.

 

[Raryn]

Case manager - basically useless, since in reality, you can write your own discharge instructions, talk to social workers, and patients can or should be able to make their own appointments. Sure, they lighten your work load, but their contribution is typically redundant. Only time they are of value is when they set up home health.

That's like saying phlebotomists are useless because you could draw all your own labs. And PCAs are useless because you could clean your patient's !@#$ up yourself. And heck, you could probably (badly) do most nursing duties if you really wanted to put your mind to it.

I personally value anyone who makes my life easier.

 

[bronx43]

That's like saying phlebotomists are useless because you could draw all your own labs. And PCAs are useless because you could clean your patient's !@#$ up yourself. And heck, you could probably (badly) do most nursing duties if you really wanted to put your mind to it.

I personally value anyone who makes my life easier.

I value PCAs, nurses, because I can't really do their jobs without significant effort. If they weren't here any day of the week, the hospital wouldn't function. It would be borderline chaos.

We don't have PCRM coverage on the weekends, and somehow things are fine. People get admitted. People are discharged. Patients and/or families make their own appointments, I type in a few dot phrases for discharge instructions, and I easily get a hold of the on call social worker for placement issues. No sh*ts were given that the case manager was absent.