When a family is confronted with a loved one's life-threatening illness it is so important to have the support of a strong, proactive social service team. The patient and family should be living well with an awareness of their life-limiting illness. Homestead Hospice understands the needs of the patient and family to feel mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually prepared. This is the time for the patient and family's wishes to be heard, needs to be identified, and all possible resources explored. The professional team of Homestead's Social Workers focus on individualized support needs ranging from coordination of community resources to providing companionship and emotional support.

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Counseling

Processing emotions when a terminal diagnosis has been given is difficult. People are overwhelmed with feelings of "could have", "would have", "should have." The key to Homestead’s social service counseling is to begin discussions that are important to uniting families. Understanding each other is essential when life is measured in months, not years.

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Coping

• Assist with identifying and strengthening positive coping methods

 

Self-care of caregiver

• Educate on self-care for caregiver and/or family members

• Identify self-care opportunities for the caregiver and assist with finding resources

 

Empathetic listening and self-expression

• Spend time with the patient and family members listening, validating and enhancing their emotional expressions

• Provide emotional support for the patient and the family to find closure

 

End-of-life goals

• Empower the patient to discuss topics related to their passing and changes in their physical abilities

• Discuss end-of-life planning with the family in a dignified manner

• Identify goals for patient fulfillment by helping them find meaning and purpose in their life

 

Life review (reliving past memories)

• Facilitate the expression of emotions and life experiences to understand the various emotions experienced in such a difficult time

• Preserve a patient's history so their memories can live on through life reviews

 

Family meetings

• Facilitate family meetings to discuss a loved one's care and diagnosis

• Support caregiver meetings to give a time for education about the medical diagnosis and a place where needs can be expressed

• Enable participants to interact with each other, to ask questions, and share feelings about their loved one's diagnosis

 

Advance Directives

Planning for end-of-life care is needed to ensure that your loved one's wishes regarding medical care is properly carried out and understood by the entire family. Advance directives takes the burden of decision-making away from family and doctors, and provides dignity and autonomy for the patient.

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• A living will, also called a directive to physicians and a type of advance directive, is a document that lets a person state their wishes for end-of-life medical care, in case they become unable to communicate their decisions.

• A durable power of attorney for finances, or financial power of attorney, is a way to allow someone else to manage finances in the event an individual becomes incapacitated and is unable to make those decisions for themself. The power is granted in a document and it grants someone legal authority to act on the individual’s behalf for financial issues.

• A durable power of attorney for health care, or medical power of attorney, will allow an individual person to make these decisions themself. This applies to all health care decisions and for all types of medical conditions.

• Do not resuscitate (DNR) order is a medical order written by a doctor. It instructs health care providers not to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if a patient's breathing stops or if the patient's heart stops beating.

• Estate planning is one of the most important steps any person can take to make sure that their final property and healthcare wishes are honored, and that loved ones are provided for in their absence.

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Support at Home

The social services team has the in-depth knowledge and expertise to assess eligibility and to identify if a patient needs additional assistance to live stress-free and comfortable in the next step of life’s journey.

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• Home safety evaluation

  • Is an emergency call system needed?

  • Does the placement of rugs cause a risk of falling?

  • Is there a wandering risk?

  • Is a handicap ramp and parking permit in place or needed?

  • Is a medication reminder system needed?

• Home Services

  • Utility assistance

  • Prescription assistance and delivery

  • Mobile physician services

  • Hearing aid program

• VA Aid and Attendance

Veterans and survivors who are eligible for a VA pension and require the aid and attendance of another person.

• Medicaid Homemaker Services

• Medicaid beneficiaries may receive services in their own homes, which could include:

  • Sitter services

  • Meals for the homebound

  • Light housekeeping and assistance with other daily living activities

  • Transportation

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Insurance Benefits

Provide an explanation of Medicare health benefits and can be an advocate to assist in receiving all eligible benefits

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Resources of Alternative Living

Check eligibility and provide options for alternative living facilities

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Final Arrangements

Each culture, religion and spiritual group has its own specific funeral rite and practices that prescribe how to remember and honor the deceased. Homestead honors the cultural and spiritual rites of each patient we serve and will support a loved one’s final wishes. We provide emotional support for the family during this difficult time.

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• Funerals and Memorials

  • Identify funeral/cultural traditions

  • Contact specific clergy for family counseling and assistance

  • Identify funeral preference

  • Assist and explore the options for the final resting place of a loved one's ashes

  • Discuss remains scattered at a meaningful location

 

Financial Assistance may be available through local counties and veteran benefits which may include burial in national cemetery, headstones/markers, a burial flag and burial allowances.

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Click here for a list of Homestead’s Resource and Education page where you will find additional information on the subjects related to social services.

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Call Homestead Hospice Social Service Hot Line (678-507-3817) and we can talk about your needs, and your next steps to receive care, comfort and peace of mind for your loved one and family.

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• Hospice versus Palliative

 

• Locations

 

• Video Links

 

• Memorial Videos