March is National Social Work Month!
Social services play a vital role in health care. March is Social Work month and the goal of a social worker is to help meet basic needs and enhance social functioning and overall wellbeing of individuals, families, groups, and communities. At Hegg Health Center and Whispering Heights, our social workers work with patients, families, and our employees to assist patients and families in navigating the process of illness and injury, to hospitalization to recovery. Our social workers also walk besides patients and their families as they deal with sometimes difficult or overwhelming situations related to their health.
Social services are offered to any patient at Hegg Health Center. Medical Social services provide discharge planning at the time of a hospitalization. This may include arranging services such as home health, meals, transportation, or referrals to nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Social services can also provide consultation to any home health, outpatient, or clinic patient. These consultations may provide information and direction on ways to keep a loved one in their own home and suggestions may include home health, life assist, or mental health services. Information and education can be given in regards to dementia or other chronic illnesses. Social services can also assist patients in regards to financial and insurance needs.
Medical Social Workers are also a part of the palliative care team at Hegg. Palliative Care can be provided to patients with a chronic illness and provides a framework for the patient and the family to address the chronic illness. Social workers are also part of the Coordinated Care Team at Hegg. Coordinated Care works with patients to assure that they have all of the resources needed to stay healthy and be successful in managing any illnesses that they have.
In the nursing home setting the social worker handles all new admissions – this includes offering the rooms to those on our waiting list, meeting with future residents and their families, and providing support in time of transition. The social worker also handles any resident’s depression concerns, family concerns and grievances. We also set up hospice consultations, plan for discharge, and arrange outpatient services to provide mental health services.
Nursing home social workers are advocates for the resident and their family. The social worker helps out where needed in other departments as well. We are support to the staff and other departments that come into the facility.
Our social workers find it a joy to work at Hegg Health Center and Whispering Heights and provide care to the patients, residents, families, and staff. They would be happy to assist you if you have any social service needs.
By Haeley Faber, BSW, (Whispering Heights), and Melinda Faber, LBSW, (Hegg Health Center)