Medical Social Work Services
At West Michigan Hospice, we’re dedicated to providing a high level of comfort care our to clients and their families. This wouldn’t be possible without help from our team of knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate medical social workers. Their dedication is greatly valued, and we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them.
Learn How Our Medical Social Work Services Can Help You
What Do Medical Social Workers Do?
Medical social work is a division of social work. Medical social workers work in an array of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, community health agencies, skilled nursing facilities, or long-term care facilities. In the hospice field, their main goal is to be an advocate for patients who are diagnosed with life-limiting conditions and managing chronic symptoms. They help patients get access to things like mental health assistance and financial support.
Here at West Michigan Hospice, medical social workers help our hospice patients and their families utilize helpful resources to cope with a new lifestyle. They’ll coordinate special hospice services, such as general counseling, grief counseling, support groups, and more. They can also assist with the need for more functional things, such as applying for the Medicaid hospice benefit or naming a power of attorney.
How Do Hospice Social Workers Help a Patient and Family?
In a hospice setting, medical social workers have special training in comfort care. They can assist the patient and family in a variety of areas and direct them to helpful community services. Some examples of what a medical social worker can do include:
- Assisting with preparing forms for an advance directive, DNR (do not resuscitate), POLST (physician order for life-sustaining treatment), and more.
- Contacting community organizations and resources, such as Meals-on-Wheels.
- Filing insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid paperwork.
- Finding counseling services and support groups.
- Assisting with making major healthcare decisions.
- Coordinating emotional and spiritual support groups.
- Setting up a living will.
- Planning a funeral.
- Filling out the paperwork required when death occurs.
- And much more.
How Can a Medical Social Worker Determine a Patient's Specific Needs?
The social worker assigned to your loved one will conduct an initial assessment. This will determine you and your family’s specific needs and help inform a care plan.
The assessment will include suggestions for social, emotional, and physical needs while considering your family’s dynamics, strengths, challenges, and resources. It will also take into consideration ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.
How Will a Medical Social Worker Help Prepare My Family and Me for My Death?
A medical social worker’s main job is to provide support, offer a safe space, and help you and your family prepare for your eventual death. They can identify what’s most important to you and encourage you to spend your remaining time focusing on that.
A unique thing hospice social workers can help with is leaving legacies behind for family members and close friends. This could include letters, videos, scrapbooks, and more. They can also assist with putting final affairs in order, such as advance directives and wills.
Can Medical Social Workers Help Children Impacted by a Family Member's Illness?
Yes. Social workers are trained to work with adults and children of all ages. They can offer age-appropriate information to help cope with illness and loss.
It’s important that children have resources that can help them process their feelings in a healthy way, and that’s exactly what a social worker can help with. They can also support parents and older family members regarding how to talk with the children about illness, hospice, and death so they can provide the best comfort possible.
Does Insurance Cover Hospice Social Work Services?
Yes. Hospice care services are 100% covered by Medicare and Medicaid. A medical social worker can help if you run into coverage issues
Have More Questions About Hospice Care
Contact Our Team
If you have more questions relating to hospice care for yourself or for a loved one, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re just a phone call away at (616) 258-2680, or you can contact us online. You may also visit our FAQs page for more information.