Social counselling | Universitätsklinikum Tübingen

Social counselling at the University Hospital Tübingen

Your usual curriculum vitae is interrupted by the admission to the clinic. Perhaps this will cause you to deal with questions and problems concerning your present situation or the return to your private and professional life. We would like to accompany and inform you and your relatives in personal and social legal matters related to your illness and your stay in the clinic. If necessary, we will arrange further treatment, such as rehabilitation measures, for you.

We are a team of social pedagogues, social workers and educators. We also have the support of an administrative assistant. Our team has many years of experience in clinical social counselling. Some of our employees have additional qualifications in the therapeutic and psycho-oncological field and in conversation management.

Contact

Patients and relatives can contact us directly via the wards. Please ask for the responsible member of the social service.

We advise and support you in the following areas

In a conversation with us, you can get advice on support options for your illness and your stay in hospital. We will accompany you and your family for a part of your way and will gladly put you in touch with competent contact persons.

With the consent of the treating physician, you can take advantage of medical rehabilitation measures (e.g. follow-up treatment, oncological rehabilitation, etc.) following your stay in hospital or treatment.

We will advise you on rehabilitation possibilities, rehabilitation clinics and also on questions concerning the stay in rehabilitation, such as the care of children or other relatives in need of help, and will make the corresponding applications with you.

We ensure that all necessary measures for transitional or follow-up care are initiated by you or your relatives and that you receive the appropriate information and decision-making aids.

This may concern, for example, home matters (advice on nursing homes, day care, short-term care, assisted living, etc.) and the corresponding applications or the decision to go to a hospice.

We will advise you if you do not have a job or training position due to your illness or if you are threatened with losing your job. We will discuss with you what support options are available to you and put you in contact with cost units and counselling centres.

We will advise you in close cooperation with the medical and nursing team of the Eye Clinic as well as the care transition team on all questions arising in connection with the loss of vision.

During your stay at the eye clinic, we will develop a concept with you for the independent organisation of your everyday life with severe visual impairment.

We will advise you on financial issues, make the appropriate applications with you, give advice on your professional and domestic situation and put you in touch with the contact persons at your place of work, such as mobility trainers, advice centres for assistive devices and self-help associations.

We will advise you on matters of social law, such as benefits under the Health Insurance, Pension Insurance, Nursing Care Insurance, Severely Disabled Persons and Social Assistance Act, and provide assistance with the application process.

This can be, for example, sickness benefit or other wage replacement benefits, reduced earning capacity pension, nursing care allowance, unemployment benefit or applying for a severely disabled person's card.

If you have any questions in the area of preventive power of attorney and living wills, we will be happy to provide you with advice and assistance.

If no precautionary measures have been taken and important decisions or organizational questions are pending, we will also initiate legal assistance for you or your relatives at the responsible notary's office.

We are also happy to assist you with advice and applications for other forms of assistance, such as the care of children or family members in need of help during and immediately after your stay in hospital.

We advise you on housing matters and work with you to find a solution to practical questions and concerns.