Duke Transplant Friends

It's helpful to think of the transplant social worker as the person on the team who assists the family with the many logistics of transplant. In other words, there are a host of preparations that need to be made prior to transplant for the surgery to be a long-term success. The planning process starts during the Duke evaluation when families first meet with the social worker. During that meeting, the social worker will ask the family about their health insurance, financial resources for relocation to Durham, social support to help with 16 weeks of post-operative care, experiences with depression and anxiety, how the patient and family try to manage stress, and lifestyle choices like sleep habits, smoking, alcohol consumption, and use of drugs. Based upon this initial meeting, the social worker will know the kind of financial, mental health, and substance use resources the family may benefit from and can make recommendations. Typically, families leave the meeting with a tentative plan and are better informed of the necessary preparations to make. The social worker then will meet the family a few more times prior to transplant to evaluate how the plan is going and make suggestions.

Once families relocate to Durham to wait for transplant, the social worker facilitates two separate support groups, one for patients, and the other for caregivers. Transplant is likely the most stressful challenge a family has ever faced. Having other patients and caregivers to share the experience with and to learn from is a valuable coping tool. Additionally, the social workers are available for short-term one-on-one counseling and education. Patients and families can call their assigned social worker at any point in the transplant journey for information, support, and resources.

To get the greatest "bang for your buck" from your social worker, ask him or her these questions:
1. What specific skills should my caregiving team have?
2. What kinds of tasks will they be needed for?
3. What do i need to know about maintaining my health insurance during a prolonged leave of absence from work?
4. Are there community financial grants to offset some of relocation expenses?
5. Can i have a tour of the hospital, OR waiting area, surgical ICU, and step-down units?

Also don't be afraid to call him or her for a "check-in session" to process your thoughts and feelings about being a transplant patient or caregiver. Getting through transplant is scary, exciting, irritating and awesome due to the number of routine medical and psychological ups and downs. Reach out for support, education, and help from your social worker. It's what he/she is there for.