Ever wonder what a hospice social worker does for the patients and their families who receive hospice or palliative care services at Northland Hospice and Palliative Care? First and foremost, we meet the patient and family where they are, with what they want, with what they expect, and with what they have to work with. We explain available options so they know what choices they have and support what is chosen. Social workers perform psychosocial assessments and reassessments of their needs and report those to the hospice team. We are counselors, problem solvers, community resource identifiers, end-of-life planners, advocates, conflict resolvers, clarifiers and teammates.
We give patients and their families a forum in which to express their thoughts, feelings and concerns in private. We work with them to resolve issues or to come to terms with events in their life. We help patients identify what their hopes and goals are for the remainder of their time. We will provide information on out-of-state contacts for bereavement/grief support for families who live out of our area.
As community resource identifiers, we identify and link people with local resources. We will give patients and family who have financial concerns information on area agencies that help with unpaid bills, shut-off notices, fuel or medical expenses to name a few. We will also give them information on how to apply for charity assistance if eligible. We identify people who may qualify for and we explain how to apply for Arizona Long Term Care Services (ALTCS), social security disability benefits, Veterans benefits/survivor benefits or other available resources.
Social workers visit patients and/or their families as often as needed, ranging from monthly, to bi-weekly, to weekly, and sometimes multiple times a week or a day. We see them in their home, the Olivia White Hospice Home, assisted living facility, and/or nursing home. We will also keep in contact with family who are out of state – updating them on their loved one’s condition and addressing any needs or questions they might have. Social workers help patients and their families think about and finalize funeral arrangements, obituaries, last will and testament or disposition of possessions.
We also focus on the primary caregiver(s) of a patient by making sure that they are taking care of themselves. Statistically, caregivers are at risk for health-related problems, depression, early death, and a decline in physical health if they do not take care of themselves. Most of these can and are eliminated when a person is admitted to hospice because of the attention to details provided by the entire team.
When appropriate, we inject humor into every interaction with patients and families. Laughter is important not only to help normalize the situation by letting people know laughing is possible but also because it helps to lower blood pressure, it increases blood flow and oxygenation, it reduces stress and it helps with pain management. We also provide instructions on relaxation techniques, coping skills, and other symptom management strategies.
These are just a few of the things social workers do for patients and families who are in the community or who are on our service at Northland Hospice & Palliative Care. I wouldn’t have it any other way! FBN
Written by Roberta Armstrong, LMSW, Social Work Manager, Northland Hospice & Palliative Care