Cypress Basin Hospice Celebrates National Social Worker Month
February 26, 2020
The month of March showcases social workers around the country and highlights the important contributions they make to society. Whether a social worker is in the healthcare setting or work with children, social workers provide a very needed service to our communities.
Social workers specifically in hospice provide support to both the patient and patient socially and emotionally during the care provided by hospice. The primary role of the hospice social worker is to advocate for the patient’s end of life wishes and to assist them with the emotional stresses and financial burdens that are sometimes related to end of life care. Social workers are able to complete a social assessment on each patient and develop a care plan designed specifically for them. Hospice social workers work with the interdisciplinary team to make sure that the patient’s needs are addressed and that their goals are met.
Some of the services that are offered by hospice social workers include but are not limited to:
- Community resource planning
- End of life care planning-including funeral options and end of life goal planning
- Completion of Out of Hospital Directives and Medical Power of Attorney forms
- Referrals to providers and in-home assistance
- Respite care for patients
- Nursing facility placements
Social workers work with the patients and families to ensure that all needs and goals are met during their hospice stay. The insight, support and recommendations of the social worker can vastly improve the experience of the patient and his or her family.
Tamedria Taylor, LMSW and Keena Zarcone, LMSW have a combined 20+ year of experience in health care and are available to answer questions related to hospice and the different resources that may be available to the residents of the community.