Social support

Social support at Institut Curie relies on social workers in the various sectors and during all phases of the cancer patient’s treatment. These professionals may be called upon by the patient him/herself, as well as by the family, the care team, a physician, or social services.

The role of social workers is to listen, inform, support and, depending on their requests and needs, refer patients and their families toward resources within their environment to help them improve their quality of life within their social, organizational, family, economic or professional context.

Areas in which social support operates

During hospitalization, the nine social workers at Institut Curie work mainly in the following areas:

• Access to patients’ rights in the event of financial or administrative problems, particularly in terms of housing or employment.
• Development of the discharge plan; for example, organization of home care or referral to special readjustment care services.

The development of care as a more frequent outpatient-care system may require their services:

• When the diagnosis is made.
• When the personalized care plan is submitted, since it has a social component.
• During the treatment period and the post-treatment phase, when help in returning to work in particular might be needed.

In order to offer patients high-quality support, the social services team at Institut Curie has a network involving the hospital’s partners, including the Centres communaux d’action social (CCAS), the Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées (MDPH), the national health insurance system (Sécurité Sociale), home service providers, and various cancer-care organizations.