Social Work
- Work as an integral part of the hospice team to assist patients in developing an individualized plan of care
- Educate a patient’s family so they may feel confident in their roles as caregivers.
- Allow patients and their families to discuss their concerns and fears openly and without judgment.
- Identify community services that fit each individual situations.
- Keep family updated on a patient’s status..
- Provide caregivers with reading materials to support their role, including information to help them feel prepared for the time of death.
- Watch for and assist with safety concerns in a patient’s home.
- Help patients and caregivers understand the role of hospice and the hospice team.
- Assist caregivers in finding support to maximize their strengths.
- Provide age appropriate education and interventions to minor children and provide activities for children to allow them to express their feelings.
- Offer patients and caregivers information related to their care.
“We were able to keep Dad at home. Whenever I think what Hospice gave us, we were all part of the team, and when I talk about his nurse or his therapist I always seem to say our nurse, our therapist, our social worker. Because they were a tremendous support to our family.”