Telephone 530-758-5566 • Toll free 800-491-7711 • Fax 530-758-5122 • 1909 Galileo Court, Suite A, Davis, CA 95618

Home

Services & Personnel

News & Information

Getting Involved

Social workers help families grieve

May 2006 Enterprise article by Pam Eimers

Hospice families often ask, "What does the social worker do?"

"The field of social work is broad and varied," says Lisa Flanagan, Social Work Manager for Yolo Hospice, "so it's not surprising that our role isn't well understood."

Just as doctors choose a specialty, so do social workers. Hospice social workers - often referred to as "medical social workers" - have, in addition to their Master's degree in social work, an added layer of medical knowledge plus expertise about the dying process and the end-of-life issues that patients and families face.

Hospice social workers have three primary roles: advocacy, counseling and providing education.

Each Yolo Hospice patient is assigned both a primary nurse and a social worker who together oversee the patient's care. Initially they visit the family together. The nurse addresses the medical aspects of the patient's needs; the social worker assesses the emotional, social, financial and caregiver support the patient and family may require.

Here are examples of the many ways social workers enhance the hospice experience. Keep in mind that not all families want or need the same services. "This isn't cookie cutter social work," says Flanagan. "Our services are tailored to each patient and family."

As advocates for our patients, social workers help families apply for MediCal, In-Home Support Services, Family Medical Leave, State Disability or other financial resources for which they qualify.

Social workers provide lists of resources that families may need such as private-hire agencies for additional caregivers, mortuaries and clergy.

When families need relief from care giving for short periods of time, or when a patient needs additional companionship, the social worker will arrange for a trained hospice volunteer to join the care team.

Social workers can even assist in bringing family members to the U.S. from other countries by writing letters to consulates, congresspersons and other officials on behalf of the patient.

Social workers provide educational support. This may include explaining the mental and physical changes expected as an illness progresses and providing books, videos or other materials that may help families understand and cope with developments. They can provide forms and information on Advance Directives and powers of attorney for health care and finances.

As trained counselors, social workers listen to the patient's and family's concerns, fears and questions and provide guidance. "Coming to terms with an anticipated death takes time and patience," says Flanagan. Grieving begins before death, but sometimes we're so busy and tired we don't recognize our grief or take time to deal with it. The social worker can facilitate early bereavement support when the need is indicated.

Social workers may also make referrals for supportive services such as massage therapy or other music performed by volunteer groups.

Many patients want to leave a legacy for their families. Social workers listen to their life stories, sometimes recording them on paper or on video.

"We involve social workers much more than most hospice rganizations," says Yolo Hospice CEO Judy Alexander.

According to MultiView, Inc., an agency that collects statistical information for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association, Yolo Hospice supplies nearly twice the amount of social work time to patients as other western region hospices.

"We do this," explains Alexander, "because we know that offering social work support can make a significant, positive difference not only right away, but throughout, and after the time we are with the patient and family." Alexander states passionately, "it's our social workers who enable us to provide this full range of care."

Adds Flanagan, "at Yolo Hospice we see patients in the wholeness of their family and the many layers of their lives - social, emotional, spiritual as well as physical.

Yolo Hospice provides care for community members living through their final months of life and support to their families. For information about hospice services, please call 758-5566 or visit our website at www.yolohospice.org

Make A Donation

Make Your Wishes Known

Quotes

Judy Alexander
"What I am always taken by in this work is people's willingness to become exactly who they are - to be real and completely present to what each moment brings, as if each moment were a gift."
~Judy Alexander, RN, CHPN, Director of Patient Care Services