SWs become detectives when patients have no ID.
As a Level 1 trauma center, Lutheran Medical Center treats a lot of patients who come in unconscious, appear to be homeless, or are confused as to their identify. In those cases, social workers search to find families and funding sources. Many unidentified patients have loved ones who are looking for them and want to care for them after discharge. Some homeless patients are eligible for Social Security, but the checks stopped coming when they were with no permanent address. The hospital contacts an attorney to determine if undocumented patients who have lived in the U.S. for a long time or who have been in the hospital for six months with no change in condition may qualify for Medicaid under Permanent Residence Under Color of Law (PRUCOL) status.
D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008489:Medical Indigency; D009518:New York; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D012947:Social Work