Social Worker Appreciation

By Nurse Diane

As a nurse in the hospital, it was my job to take care of the patient from the time they walked into the door, until they were discharged.   Once the left the hospital, their lives were out of my hands.  Some of the patients leaving needed more help than their insurance company would allow.  Some would need home health, equipment, home safety needs, things that I was not able to take care of.  Luckily, our hospital had a few social workers employed there.  These ladies would visit everyone on the floor that would have a need at discharge that they couldn't take care of by themselves. They did things like find beds in nursing homes, or step down units, set up home oxygen therapy, even visit the homes to make sure the patient would be able to take care of their needs without any problems.  The social worker was also there to help with funeral arrangements and comfort families.  

Social workers are not only found in hospitals though, Here are some other places where they can be found according to bls.gov.:

 Child and family social workers protect vulnerable children and help families in need of assistance. They help parents find services, such as child care, or apply for benefits, such as food stamps. They intervene when children are in danger of neglect or abuse. Some help arrange adoptions, locate foster families, or work to get families back together. Clinical social workers provide mental health care to help children and families cope with changes in their lives, such as divorce or other family problems.

School social workers work with teachers, parents, and school administrators to develop plans and strategies to improve students’ academic performance and social development. Students and their families are often referred to social workers to deal with problems such as aggressive behavior, bullying, or frequent absences from school.

Healthcare social workers help patients understand their diagnosis and make the necessary adjustments to their lifestyle, housing, or healthcare. They provide information on services, such as home health care or support groups, to help patients manage their illness or disease. Social workers help doctors and other healthcare professionals understand the effects diseases and illnesses have on patients’ mental and emotional health.

Some healthcare social workers specialize in gerontological social work or hospice and palliative care social work.

• Gerontological social workers help senior citizens and their families. They help clients find services such as programs that provide older adults with meals or with home health care. In some cases, they provide information about assisted living facilities or nursing homes or work with older adults in those settings. They help clients and their families make plans for possible health complications or where clients will live if they can no longer care for themselves.

• Hospice and palliative care social workers help patients adjust to serious, chronic, or terminal illnesses. Palliative care focuses on relieving or preventing pain and other symptoms associated with serious illness. Hospice is a type of palliative care for people who are dying. Social workers in this setting provide and find services, such as support groups or grief counselors, to help patients and their families cope with the illness or disease.

Mental health and substance abuse social workers help clients with mental illnesses or addictions. They provide information on services, such as support groups or 12-step programs, to help clients cope with their illness.

March is Social Worker Appreciation Month.  If you know a social worker, or have personal use of one, don't forget to show your appreciation for all their hard work to make your life a little easier.  

National Home Care and Hospice Month

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By Nurse Diane

During my nursing career, I have had the opportunity to work in several different areas.  I began working in a hospital, and then I did some part time work at home health.  I moved to a nursing home following hospital downsizing, then did in home care for my husband after his injury.  I was offered a job at the local hospice, however, did not feel up to the task after the death of my husband.

Each of these areas offers different types of care for the patient and for the staff.  The hospital setting provides more urgent care, and these people usually get well and go back to their usual lives.  The nursing home provides mostly long term care.  The patients are for the most part elderly, and have a terminal illness, and require round the clock nursing and care.

Home health patients, or the ones I visited, are people who may require dressing changes, blood work, or brief care with some medical condition, they can usually care for themselves, and their conditions do not require constant care in the hospital.  Home care, is the same as nursing home care.  During home care, the patient requires round the clock nursing and care, but this is done at home. Hospice is end of life care.  The patient has a terminal condition, and no expectations of recovery.  This care is performed either at home, or professional setting.

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Shortly after I was married, my husband became injured at work with a spinal cord injury.  It was a progressive injury, and he continued working for a year until he was no longer able to walk.  He stayed home, and tried to continue to function as he usually did, however this resulted in many injuries, and we made the decision for me to stay home with him.  This was difficult financially, however we both preferred for me to stay with him instead of having a stranger spend the days with him, an option we couldn't afford. From that time on, I took care of all of his needs that he was not able to do for himself, and we were isolated for many years. We were no longer able to leave the house, lost contact with friends and co-workers, and only had each other for company.   People who choose to stay home to care for family members have a difficult task.  Not only do they take care of the sick, but also take control of every other aspect of the operations of the home. I tried to explain once to the judge ruling over his case, that being at home was just like being in the hospital.  I provided his nursing care, pharmacy needs, lab work, dietary needs, supplies, as well as maintenance, both inside and out, laundry, every department in the hospital except for x-ray and surgery.  In addition to his care, I was also caring for my young son who was 8 years old at the time of his injury.  I was alone in these tasks, with no outside help.

Home hospice care is almost the same, except the person you are caring for will be expecting death sooner than expected.  Hospice care provides not only nursing care, but they will send volunteers over to provide breaks for family members to get out and take care of other matters, or just rest.  My aunt lived across the street from a single man who had developed cancer, and was in the end stages.  She had taken care of him for a few years before he was no longer able to care for himself.  His doctor ordered hospice care, and they had someone come in and help.  This gave my aunt a break, but after two weeks of hospice he passed away.

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This month is National Home Care and Hospice Month.   According to numbers from the Department of Labor, 5% of the population will be responsible for 50% of the cost of rising health care.  These are aging baby boomers, so the cost of them staying home for their care will be more cost effective and comfortable for the individual.  If you know someone who is caring for a family member at home, give them a call or send a card, offer to give them a break, or fix them dinner.  Just let them know that you are thinking of them, and support them for taking care of their loved ones at home.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Month

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By Diane Forrest, RN

My aunt's neighbor passed away a couple of weeks ago.  He was a young man, in his early 50's.  Had been diagnosed with cancer 2 years earlier.  He was divorced, had a young daughter, but she didn't live close.  He had no family nearby, so my aunt took on the task of caring for him.  As his condition worsened, she would take him to the hospital, doctors, would help with his shopping and care of his home.  He continued to work until the month before he passed away.  In his last month his doctor had arranged for Hospice care services.  This was such a relief for my aunt.  She is not medically trained or experienced in caring for the sick.  The nurse came and gave her instructions on arrangements that needed to be done, such as final arrangements, funeral planning, getting a power of attorney to be able to help pay his bills and such before he passed.

The morning he passed away, she only had to make one call to his hospice nurse.  They made all the arrangements for calling the funeral home to pick him up and everything was done with such speed and efficiency that it gave my aunt  a chance to grieve instead of being stressed out about what to do or who to notify.

A hospice is care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms. These symptoms can be physical, emotional, spiritual or social in nature. The concept of hospice has been evolving since the 11th century. Then, and for centuries thereafter, hospices were places of hospitality for the sick, wounded, or dying, as well as those for travelers.   The concept for hospice is to give care to the terminally ill in hospitals or nursing homes as well as for those who want to die in their own homes.   My mother in law was diagnosed with cancer and decided she didn't want to spend her remaining days in a hospital.  She had hospice services to help with her care and needs.  It was so comforting to her to be home surrounded by her friends and family instead of lying in a hospital being surrounded by strangers.

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It is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.  For more information on these services click here:  http://www.nhpco.org/templates/1/homepage.cfm