SOCIAL WORKER

Hospice social workers are an important part of the hospice team and play a significant role in our ability to deliver comprehensive hospice care that meets the needs of our patients and families. The social workers at Homestead Hospice evaluate the needs of the patient and the family upon admission to our hospice program and may visit with you regularly as needed. Dealing with a terminal illness involves more than symptom management and patient comfort: it involves changing roles within the family unit, difficulties with coping, added responsibilities for family members, major decisions concerning care of the patient, increased concerns about financial matters and legal issues regarding advanced directives about care of the patient, wills, plans for the future, possible needs to relocate and so on.

The social workers at Homestead Hospice are trained professionals who specialize in helping patients and families work through the many changes that occur as their loved one's health declines and eventually pass on. They are focused on respecting your wishes and the wishes of the patient as a whole. They can help you access needed resources in the community for financial or legal assistance or help you get the information you need to make informed decisions about the present and the future. Social workers must advocate for your needs and rights and help you meet the goals which are part of your plan of care.

Remember, the hospice plan of care includes the family unit as well as the patient, and psychological, emotional and spiritual needs are also important parts of the plan of care. The social worker can help the patient make his or her own decisions about where they wish to spend their last days, whether at home or in a facility, or make decisions about whether or not to use artificial feeding methods such as feeding tubes. Each patient's circumstances vary from another's, but everyone will have some major decisions to make. The social worker's role is to not impose any particular agenda, but to support your wishes and facilitate the process.

For more information on social services at Homestead Hospice, call the Homestead Hospice Hotline at 877-355-4472.