Home Health Medical Social Workers
Medical social workers are professionals who provide a variety of medical assistance services to those in need. This includes those who are aging and their families, as well as those whose illness is severe enough to warrant additional social services. In-home medical social workers for seniors can be a great resource both during the senior’s recovery from a surgery or medical procedure as well as during the senior’s end of life, when they are in need of palliative care.
What Is A Medical Social Worker?
A medical social worker is a professional who provides guidance and assistance to people going through a medical crisis or illness. This can include things like:
- Providing information about the medications that are being taken, how they interact with one another, and what side effects there may be.
- Helping your loved ones plan ahead for their final wishes
- Helping your family make informed decisions about hospice care or palliative care for the senior in your life.
- Providing ways that you can help take care of your loved one while maintaining your own health and sense of well-being
- Providing emotional support and advocacy for the patient and their family
Why Is A Medical Social Worker Important?
A medical social worker is crucial because they can help you and your loved ones prepare for medical crises by planning ahead.
This is important because it will allow you to take the steps necessary to prevent an unforeseeable crisis from hurting your family financially or emotionally in the future.
With this in-home support, we have often found a reduction in readmissions to the hospital, allowing your aging loved one to live comfortably in their home. By bridging the gap between your loved one and the resources they need to receive optimal care, a medical social worker can give peace of mind to your family.
Benefits of In-House Medical Social Workers
- Having an in-house medical social worker makes it easy for seniors who live alone or independently to continue living on their own.
- Your medical social worker can help you or your loved one plan ahead for final wishes.
- Having an in-home social worker means that they will always be nearby, making emergency visits easier and faster than coordinating with a call center.
- An in-home medical social worker can reduce readmissions and help keep your loved one out of the hospital.
- In-home social workers focus on short and long-term healthcare challenges to provide peace of mind to patients and caregivers.
- In-home social workers provide an extra line of communication between family members and their loved ones (which is especially important due to COVID-19 precautions).
- In-home social workers give patients the opportunity to work within their network of medical professionals to get much-needed resources much quicker and more efficiently.
What Can A Medical Social Worker Do For You?
A skilled medical social worker can help your loved one live a safe, organized life at home, independently. For more information or to schedule a free evaluation, contact us today.