Hospice care makes it easier to cope with the emotional, physical, spiritual and personal challenges that come with the end of life. In Chicago, the interdisciplinary services provided by hospice agencies benefit patients and their families, and a team of skilled professionals provides support.
People are often surprised to learn that a social worker is a member of the hospice team. How do they help? What do hospice care social workers do? Read on for an explanation.
Education
Hospice social workers often deal with Chicago patients and their loved ones at the point of crisis – and one of their roles in this regard is to help everyone understand what hospice care involves.
Many people have the wrong idea, so these professionals work to debunk the myths and share the truth about what it means to enter hospice. In addition, social workers provide families with education on the end-of-life process, the hospice plan of care and the completion of advanced directives. Thanks to the knowledge they share, families feel confident in their decisions moving forward.
Care Coordination
Chicago patients on hospice receive services from a range of skilled professionals – nurses, therapists, physicians, home health aides and trained volunteers are among the many people who stop by for scheduled visits.
With their understanding of systems theory, the factors that allow groups to work effectively together and how to maintain wellness, social workers are ideally suited to the task of coordinating the care of hospice patients. They act as a link between all of the hospice care providers, and in many cases, they’re also the point of contact between families and members of the treatment team.
Counseling
Social workers commonly provide counseling to individuals and their families. In the hospice care setting, this form of support typically involves helping people work through complicated emotions and psychological difficulties.
When faced with a terminal diagnosis and a limited life expectancy, Chicago patients and their families – many with complex relationships — often need help finding closure. Children have trouble understanding what is happening when a loved one is dying, and many people who are close to the terminally ill individual need grief counseling. Hospice care social workers assist with all of these challenges.
Care Assistance
Hospice social workers are trained in practical skills and care techniques that can be beneficial during the end-of-life-journey – and they take a number of approaches in assisting terminally ill patients in Chicago.
Sometimes, the professionals are called on to guide families in making major care decisions regarding a loved one. They might also assist with the paperwork to arrange for hospice, and many are involved in developing the plan of care. What’s more, some hospice care social workers are even able to help with non-medical ways of alleviating pain and anxiety. And, that’s just a sampling of the ways they provide care.
Needed Resources
When the end of life is drawing near, people have different needs. When a patient wants extra help beyond that the hospice team provides — or when their situation warrants additional services, hospice care social workers seek out solutions.
In other words, they have the skill to help families find community resources like local terminal illness support groups and financial assistance programs for Chicago residents. They also connect hospice patients with organizations that help with various needs, such as Life Alert® and Meals on Wheels. When patients or their loved ones don’t know where to turn for any sort of assistance, social workers are the people to call.
Observation
For social workers in hospice, one of the most important responsibilities is to be observant. Care is often provided in the home, and many terminally ill patients have little control over their surroundings, so someone else needs to keep watch.
In most cases, their role involves assessing challenges and safety risks within the environment – and after identifying an issue, they offer a solution or direct the family to the appropriate community resources. But in some instances, such as in the event of a potentially neglectful or abusive situation, social workers intervene to lessen harms and keep future risks at an absolute minimum.
Could a Loved One in Chicago Benefit from Hospice Care?
In our experience here at Suncrest, many people know very little about hospice care and how it works. That’s not at all shocking, though – unless someone has gone through the experience of having a loved one on hospice, there’s not much of a reason they would have a good amount of knowledge.
Why did we mention this? Simply put, we want you to feel comfortable in asking us anything at all about hospice care. We truly enjoy helping people, and we definitely don’t mind providing answers, information and guidance.
Anyone can arrange for a hospice care consult – you don’t need to wait until a doctor brings up the topic or makes a referral. If you believe that someone you hold dear might benefit from our services, give us a call and one of our friendly and knowledgeable social workers will come out to their home for a conversation. To explore the possibility of hospice care for a loved one in Chicago, Illinois, contact Suncrest today.
