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Celebrating Social Workers

 

March is National Professional Social Work Month. At Family Home Health Network, we would like to take a moment and acknowledge the critical role social workers play in caring for our clients and their families.

Why We Need Social Workers

Social workers are essential to providing our patients and families with the compassion, care and support they need to live as fully and comfortably as possible – in both the home health and hospice settings.

Home Health

Social workers are an integral part of the Family Home Health Network team. They meet with clients and family members to conduct a “life review,” which consists of assessing the physical, social and emotional aspects of their lives to determine how their needs can best be met.

Family Home Health Network’s social workers can coordinate services such as home health care, medical equipment rentals and services, transportation to physician visits and more.

The goal is to gain a holistic view of a patient and their current situation and provide guidance and resources, so they are better able to help the patient and their loved ones.

Hospice Care

There may, perhaps, be no more challenging life event than facing the end of life – either for yourself or a loved one. It is in these situations where a social worker can be an invaluable resource for families. As with home care, the first task of a hospice social worker is to evaluate a patient’s current situation and determine their needs so they can advocate on behalf of the patient to meet those needs.

Hospice social workers also educate patients and family members on what they can expect as they travel on their end-of-life journey, providing resources and education.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, social workers work directly with patients to listen to their fears and help them find comfort as they make their transition. Often, people are more comfortable opening up to a professional social worker than a family member, for fear of burdening their loved ones with their own needs and concerns.

On behalf of all of us at Family Home Health Network, thank you to all social workers for their tireless energy and the work they do every day to enhance the lives of our patients!