Literature Review and Critique of Task Centered Model of Social Work Practice in Hospice Care

The integrative aspect of the task-centered model requires a clear objective that highlights and streamlines the client-therapist relationship, and augments the collaborative perspective all stages of the treatment. In the same fashion, the model employs various assumptions in a bid to evaluate and assess options and treatments in a solution-centered perspective; a product of specific tasks and intended solutions. Notably, assumptions of collaborative client-therapist relationship take precedence followed by the assumption that change can happen quickly and in a long-lasting manner. Identically, focusing on the present and future rather than the past, the inculcation of a pragmatic perspective of where the change occurs, and the ability to maintain the prospective change within the client’s immediate environment forms the functional assumptions of the model.

In addition, the assumption of small changes manifesting big impacts to the client’s life, the focus on creation of goals in a concrete and progressive perspective, and the comprehensive evaluation of change brings out the integrative framework of an intervention (Berkman & Stein, 2018). , & Bergenmar, M. Nurse perceptions of person-centered handovers in the oncological inpatient setting–a qualitative study.  International Journal of Nursing Studies. Kullberg, Sharp, Dahl, Brandberg, & Bergenmar conducted a qualitative study seeking to identify the role of the client/patient in the palliative care and their overall contribution to the implementation of the task-centered model. In context, the study sough to identify the procedural aspects of shift-shift bedside handover between the nurses, while investigating the role of patient participation of the same.

 International journal of nursing studies. The study sought to highlight the importance of emotional intelligence to the hospice care professionals in handling patients in clinical and long-term settings. The study focused on the caring behavior of the hospice professionals and how their emotional intelligence helped in streamlining the overall approach to the hospice care. The study employed integrative review design to evaluate how professionals’ emotional intelligence related to the quality of behavioral care to the patients in a long-term engagement. The study found a direct correlation between emotional intelligence and the quality of care to long-term patients especially for nurses and physicians. From a social work perspective, engaging senior citizens gives them a new phase of engagement; giving them the “meaning of life”, both lived and the present.

This augments the lifespan development theory, a functional framework of the task-centered model, as it entails in the hospice care. In other words, by empowering senior citizens, the communities benefit from advancement of knowledge and help in prolonging senior citizens’ lives outside a clinical setting, thus, advancing the second and third phases of the model. Cameron, L. J. The study sought to identify the quality of patient-centered care in rehabilitation setting through the investigation of the relationship between patient empowerment and patient participation. The study investigated various meta-paradigms focused on promoting patient-centered care in rehabilitation centers along the application of various concepts of social work. The study cross-examined the concepts of social work in a rehabilitative setting; the antecedents, attributes, and consequences and empirical referents of each concept, by evaluating the similarities and differences.

The study found a direct correlation between the definition offered for each concept and the proposed mapping of the referents towards patient-centeredness. From a social work perspective, the study augmented the model’s provisions of procedural and step by step identification of a patient’s immediate need in formulation of a problem and respective interventions. Evaluation stemmed on thematic decision-making interactions based on the organization of healthcare systems to evaluate patients’ knowledge with respect to the established doctor-patient relationships and the perceived power and control on the side of the patients. In context, the study augmented the basic assumption of the task-centered model of the need to establish a solid relationship between patient and practitioners. The study findings indicate the modalities of attitudinal changes with respect to specific organization, clinician and healthcare team, and the levels of patients.

This is inline with the fourth assumption of the model; a pragmatic perspective about how and where the change occurs. Parsons, C. The study had 30 minutes per day and six days a week measure of both home and hospice interventions in terms of the perceived standard and quality care from the patients. By focusing on the Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, the study sough to evaluate the extent of the home and hospice-based programs in achieving the overall patient acre as per patient’s cognitive understanding of treatment engagement, mindfulness stress reduction, mindful practice and meditation practice. The study found a correlation between meditation and mindful practice to helping improve the overall patient’s conceptualization of care, at home and at the hospice.

From a social perspective, individual’s understanding of their environment paves way for a consultative engagement with care providers, thus streamlining the identification and assessment processes. In other words, the study demonstrated the association between home/hospice practice to the intended outcome as long patient meditation and self-practice took precedence. In context, the study focused on the implementation of projects that impacts patients in a manner to provide safety net population with sustainable livelihood. From a broader perspective, the study investigated the interoperability between participant perspectives in relation to patient activation to the benefits accrued from the projects. The study found the patient-centered medical home model to directly link to the efficiency of actual and perceived care, more so in the safety net programs to eliminate stigma.

From a social work perspective, the model augmented the basis of the task-centered theory in that it demonstrated higher rates of return in advancing care to individuals with chronic illnesses. In addition, the model assumes various modifications that suits the provisions of the task-centered theory, making it a reliable perspective in applying theoretical framework in a hospice setting.  Journal of pain and symptom management, 49(6), 1070-1080. The study evaluated the concept of quality communication between the patients and caregivers in establishing long-term and sustainable interactions and decision making. In context, the study sought to clarify the importance of patient empowerment in addressing critical processes of the task-centered model in that, a shared understanding between a patient and caregiver provides a wide ranger of option and task preferences for the patient to choose from.

The study found a direct correlation between clearly outlined treatment framework and quality indicators with respect to the ultimate goal of end-of -life decisions and choice of treatment. In other words, clarity in communicating the conceptual framework helped patients make critical decisions concerning their treatment preferences. From a social worker perspective, advanced care planning provides for procedural identification and assessment of individual preferences of treatment plans and helps in streamlining individual choice of the final phases of the task centered model. In other words, in the treatment of pain and other symptoms, the advanced planning care allows the caregivers and patients to strike a balance guided by the patient choices of treatment preference. Metcalf, J. Hospice Social Work Methods and Interventions for Terminally Ill Patients Experiencing Anticipatory Grief.

The study extrapolates on the conceptual framework of the models employed in hospice care with respect to social work methods. The conceptual frameworks in a majority of hospices revolves around grief task models and lifespan development theories with focus on the latter due to the underlying objectives of hospice care. In essence, hospice care seeks to advance and prolong biological, social and environmental contexts of the clients from diverse backgrounds and with respect to a myriad of factors such as age, sex and health; with “end-of-life” stage taking precedence. By definition, the “end-of-life” stage encompasses various interventions geared toward letting the clients find a “new” meaning to life and guiding them to develop the feeling of wholeness towards the end of their lives.