Blog Detail

Hospice Social Services

In the field of hospice, there is a great need for communication between patient and medical team.  There is also a great need for connecting families to resources and assistance programs. For these and many other reasons Social Services is included as a necessary member of the interdisciplinary team of hospice care providers.

Hospice Social Services uses the expertise of medical social workers who act as liaisons for patients and their families.  They explain the stages of disease, so the families can be aware of the changes the patient may experience and be prepared for adapting to those changes when they occur.  They explain the various options in care, so the patients and their families can make informed decisions as they choose what is best in each situation.  The medical social workers then collaborate with the other members of the hospice medical team to assure the choices and preferences made by each patient, their caregiver, and their family are fully considered when formulating their personal healthcare plan. 

Hospice Social Services finds resources and social programs that offer assistance to caregivers and decisionmakers.  Various organizations on the local, state, and federal level allocate financial aid to patients in hospice which can temporarily help with rent and utilities.  Those organizations also help provide aid to caregivers in the form of additional home care, housekeeping, and meal preparation.  The medical social worker aggressively locates and links the families with these programs to ensure access to the resources that can help promote their peace and comfort during these times of difficulty. 

Hospice Social Services provides essential assistance for legal considerations such as filing insurance claims, submitting Medicare and Medicaid forms, completing advanced directives and wills, as well as obtaining a death certificate and filling out paperwork involved with funeral arrangements.  

The medical social worker helps with after death preparations such as arranging for grief counseling and in-home help.  They maintain communication with the bereaved for thirteen months after the passing of a patient as a point of contact for needs and support.  They remain active in each case to offer encouragement and help in psychosocial adjustments. 

Hospice Social Services is an indispensable member of the hospice medical team as it functions as liaison, mediator, social programs coordinator, and bereavement support contact.

Gifted Hearts Hospice and Palliative Care in Seguin, TX, is a fully staffed facility available to patients who call South Central Texas their home.  It is nestled in the beautiful New Braunfels area as the best hospice near San Antonio, Texas.  It offers palliative care for patients of any age in any stage of illness.  It also offers all four levels of hospice care and maintains its motto: “Live until you Leave.”