How Wellness Issue Is Being Addressed in Sweden

Sweden is considered to be much expensive place to live compared to the other countries in Europe, but if offers quite a good standard of living. Besides, Sweden has attracted most expatriates due its political stability. According to the statistics about 12% of those living in Sweden are foreign born and a majority of them living and working in Stockholm. The major reasons why Sweden has attracted quite a good number of expatriate is because it offers equal opportunity to all citizens in terms of healthcare, welfare benefits as well as education hence one cannot distinguish a native citizen and a foreign citizen. Sweden has been outstanding when it comes to health care sector. It is considered to offer the best medical care to its citizens with most of the countries considering it a role model in Europe. However, Sweden does not spend much as compared to other countries but still remains the best.

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Sweden only spends 9% out of its Growth Domestic Products (GDP) in healthcare sector. This figure is equivalent to half of the United States healthcare budget and yet Sweden has the higher life expectancy rate and very low infant death rates. Another thing Sweden has put in place is that patients spend the shortest stay in hospitals as compared to other developed and very wealthy nations such as the United States, Canada, Japan Western Europe, Australia, and even China. Reflecting back to the year 2003 Sweden conducted a nationwide implementation of the health sector including the most determinants of health with the aim of improving the well-being of the entire population. The implementation involved handling the necessary determinants of health such as education system, proper housing, ease of access to leisure activities, and finally providing any financial support to the needy and those who were unemployed.

Sweden's healthcare system is a noteworthy feature despite the fact that the government has ensured it is available for each and every person be for a native citizen or be it for an expats. Besides the effective health care system the country also faces other challenges such as sources of funding, efficacy, and best quality of the health services across the country. However, there are significant improvements in place that are made continually to ensure that the mortality rate is as low as possible and a higher life expectancy than the average which currently stands at 79.5 years in regards to men while for women is indexed at 83.5 years. In Sweden any adult has to pay some modest figures of cash when paying a doctor a visit. Health care, dental care, and caring for the disabled and the elderly on the other hand, has been assigned to the local authorities (Municipalities and County councils).

However, Sweden is seen to be leaning towards privatizing some of its services as a way of making its health care industry more competitive. Currently it is very easy to find a private hospital with for-profit services in healthcare operations, this encourages Sweden to be a top world destination when in comes to medical services. Further, more the policies in place still makes Sweden to be one of the outstanding country in the world when it comes to their healthcare system. The policies and procedures affirm that one does not have to wait for so long in order to get surgery services. The average waiting time for any pre-planned care cannot exceed 90 days after a specialist confirms the need for one to get a surgery. Just in case the waiting time exceeds the period one is entitled to go and seek medical attention elsewhere and the council will cater for all the bills and event the transportation cost for surgery incurred. Another important thing is that the healthcare in Sweden is for all both the expats and native population. Everyone in Sweden has the right to access any publically financed hospitals or health services. The healthcare system covers from inpatient and outpatient services, drugs prescription, supporting the elderly and disabled, rehabilitation services, dental health care for children to primary health and many more.

It is also important to note that the health care services in Sweden is never free, but there is that benefit of sharing the cost in most publically financed healthcare services hence making it cheaper. On the contrary children are exempted from sharing the cost of their healthcare services. Interestingly is that the government has subsidized the dental care where the adults pay an allowance of only 150 crowns per year while for children is total free but not until past the age of 20 years. The government also gave room for their citizens to chose their healthcare either in public or private sector. This has seen the number of private hospitals on the rise since the years 2010 when the ruling became effective. However, the council is mandated to offer the best medical care quality services to all its citizens. Another task entitled to the council is that they collect income tax, taking actions in projects related to preventive medicine and finally promoting the wellness in Sweden. The most interesting thing is that the Sweden government is offering these services even to the undocumented immigrants hence an indication on how Sweden is very serious in matters pertaining to healthcare services irrespective of the nation one comes from neither the status.

The Role of Social Worker in addressing Wellness

The career of a social worker seems to be very challenging but it is the most rewarding profession. Most importantly social workers play a very crucial significant role in helping either individuals or families on how to cope with the various problems they are encountering in their lives. This is a way to ensure that their patients' lives are improved. The social workers responsibility is to design a better approach on the teaching skills and mechanisms that their patients can rely on as way forward to improve their experience and lives. A majority of social workers think their task is only counseling the patients, families or even groups. To be precise this is not the case since most of the social workers will liaise with various institutions and collaborating with other health professionals in ensuring the wellness of their patients.

The social worker will also assist the patients by referring the community resources while addressing legal issues like helping with hearings and also offering testimonies that goes in hand with their patients experiences. It is also the duty of a social worker to employ various skills when handling their patients which are attentive listening, speaking, social perspective, critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing, coordination, judgment and decision making, and finally complex problem solving. In Sweden social worker can apply for authorization certificate three years after completing their degree. In both countries the core role of the social workers is to ensure wellness among individuals and promote the welfare of the community at large. It is evident that the role of social in both Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago are quite similar with little or no difference at all.

Bibliography

McMurray, Anne, and Jill Clendon. 2011. Community health and wellness: primary health care in practice. Chatswood, N.S.W.: Elsevier Australia. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=448468.

Turner, Francis J. 2005. Canadian encyclopedia of social work. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. http://www.deslibris.ca/ID/402708.