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February 2020
Amanda Powell
There is not always a lot mentioned about social workers in the health care system, but social work plays a very important role in health care and helping people get and stay healthy. They do this through various interventions addressing social determinants. Using social workers, along with the other professional healthcare team, offers a wholistic approach to the delivery of health care. It is important for patients and families to understand the importance of social work and welcome this service to help people remain independent and healthy.
Social Workers in home health use psychoeducation on health and wellness to educate patients on their condition. This allows for patients, in a one on one setting in their home, to learn about their condition. The social worker in the home care setting has an opportunity to learn about the patient’s behaviors and routine at home and helps identify areas for improvement or increased education.
Social workers in the home health setting are also able to address behavioral health needs. For example, a patient with COPD often suffers from anxiety and makes frequent trips to the ER due to anxiety attacks. A social worker in the home can teach techniques such as deep breathing and relaxation exercises to help the patient manage the anxiety in order to help decrease or eliminate ER utilization. Social workers can also identify mental health issue such as depression that might keep patients from successfully managing their physiological conditions.
Social workers in the home setting can also identify social needs that keep people from managing their health care needs. The home setting tells a lot about the struggles a patient may be having. The doctor isn’t able to see this and often patients do not report social issues at their visits. An example of this would be that a patient cannot afford their medication, so they haven’t been taking them. A social worker will work to apply for various services to help with this need. Or perhaps a patient may not be going to their appointments due to lack of transportation so a social worker connects them to public transportation or in-home caregiver services that can transport.
Just as important, the social worker also collaborates among disciplines to ensure that the whole person is being assessed and that interventions are appropriate to that individual person. The improved communication about the patient among social work, therapists, nurses, doctors and others in the patient’s care team creates a wholistic approach to care and improves their health and wellbeing.
Choose a home health agency that offers social work and welcome those visits to help improve your understanding of social services in the area as well as your individual health care needs. If you or someone you know is in need of home health care contact us at Western Illinois Home Health Care 800-228-5993. We are a full-service provider who offers social work as part of our standard of care.
Amanda Powell, LSW, MSW is the Director of Client Services at Western Illinois Home Health Care.