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What Role do Social Workers Play at Hospice of Rutherford County? March is Social Work Month

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Hospice of Rutherford County social workers are, from left, Kathy Tuttle, Sandy Davis, Lorie Guffey, Beth Hogan, Patty Olson and Joey Revis. Not pictured is Danielle Williams.

The 2014 Social Work Month theme “All People Matter” is one that is followed year-round by social workers at Hospice of Rutherford County. 

“Social workers do a variety of things, depending upon the setting,” said Joey Revis, Social Work coordinator for Hospice of Rutherford County. “Social workers are often advocating, supporting and protecting vulnerable people, assisting to heal trauma, innovating new programs and mobilizing neighborhoods.” 

In the hospice setting, he continued, social workers focus on the needs that cannot be met solely through medical intervention, addressing the hospice family’s needs as well as those of the patient. 

“When we go into the patient’s home, we try to learn how they want us to serve, to explore ways to address concerns taking into account their values and beliefs,” Revis explained. 

Social workers can open the door to conversations and address concerns a hospice patient’s family may be having but don’t know how to discuss. 

“We are really trying to assess how well they (the family) are coping and to explore options for increasing their sense of well-being,” Revis said. “Together with the family, we develop a plan which includes specific goals and interventions to address the identified needs.” 

For example, if there is a concern about a patient falling when getting into or out of bed, the social worker would help connect the family to community resources which could provide a hospital or lift bed. 

Social workers also help hospice patients to consider their treatment preferences, to understand code status, and learn about advance directives, such as The Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney documents. These, he said, allow patients control of their care. 

“It’s easy to honor a patient’s wishes when they can talk,” he explained. “But when they can’t, someone else will be making those decisions, and it may be someone who isn’t familiar with what the patient truly wants.” 

As a patient declines, social workers spend time counseling with the family to help them adjust to the changing roles. 

“We really listen to what the family is saying to help identify the feeling behind it – we are really trying to pinpoint their emotion,” Revis said. 

The hospice social worker is just one member of a team of providers for patients and their families. This team also includes nurses, nursing assistants, chaplains, bereavement counselors, volunteers and a hospice physician. 

Hospice of Rutherford County strives to provide state-of-the-art, compassionate care for those affected by serious illness, grief and loss. For more information on hospice and palliative care services offered by Hospice of Rutherford County, please visit hospiceofrutherford.org or call 828-245-0095 or 800-218-CARE. “Like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/HospiceofRutherfordCounty.

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