Social Assessment

A social assessment includes general background data, description of family or other support group resources including emotional, financial and environment resources, their availability to the patient, and the patient’s position and role in the family (child, parent, spouse) and educational and employment history.  Also included are such topics as interests, lifestyle, friendships, goals, ambitions, personality traits, positive and/or negative relationships and previous problems (such as medical, psychiatric, drug abuse, alcohol).  The assessment attempts to reveal the patient’s and the family’s level of understanding of the patient’s current condition, probable long range outcome, expectations of rehabilitation, degree of disruption in family functioning that the disability has produced, and the ability and interest of the patient and family members to adjust to changed circumstance.