Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has required regulations regarding the delivery of palliative care services which are an important component of health systems. The number of cases and deaths increasing day by day has brought along the efforts for preventive measures. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the difficulties experienced by palliative care patients and their relatives in the care process have increased, enhancing various difficulties have emerged in the interventions. Loss of face-to-face communication due to social restrictions, visitor restrictions and physical distance have affected social work practices and intervention methods within the scope of palliative care. Technology-based methods have been important support channels for social workers in establishing communication and bonding between patients and their relatives who have been away from each other during the pandemic process. Informing, mediation, grief support, and support for health workers in the COVID-19 process, through technology-based methods, stand out among the activities carried out by social workers. In this study, taking advantage of the relevant literature, the COVID-19 pandemic's reflections have been discussed on palliative care social work practices.