Welcome back! In the previous article, we looked at how to introduce you, the hospice social worker, to new patients and their families. The next step is to introduce what you can do for them in a way that will promote engagement.
When patients and family members meet you, they won’t connect meaningfully with everything you say you can do for them. Their heads will be full of thoughts about the illness and about what it means that they are now only pursuing comfort measures. They’ll be busy processing the information they received from other disciplines during the busy initial period that follows admission.
If they have the mental bandwidth to interact with you meaningfully, they still may only be able to consider one or two of the services you provide. If there is an urgent need for assistance applying for a need, they may not be able to think about wants. A desperate need for Medicaid or respite, can prevent them from listening about the Dream Foundation.
Let them think about your services between visits.
Give them a list of the services they can receive from you. Ask them if you can put it on their refrigerator. If a need for counseling doesn’t occur to them during your first interaction, it may occur to them after they see the word “counseling” on your list the tenth time they open the refrigerator door to grab a can of Pepsi.
The list you provide will be different from my list, because our service areas and strengths are not identical. Texas has a non-profit that installs wheelchair ramps, and your service area may not. You may have a community connection that donates music or art therapy, and you may operate in an area where hypnosis is considered mainstream enough that you would openly offer it to patients.
Your customizable list
My list has three sections: removing obstacles, stress relief and planning. The list can look something like the following, in nice big and bold typeface (or in an elegant design like the image at the bottom of this post):
Ask your hospice social worker about the following:
Removing obstacles:
- A handicap parking placard
- A wheelchair ramp to your front or back door
- An emergency alert button
- Prepared lunches delivered to your home
Emotional support/ stress relief
- Guided meditation/ relaxation techniques
- A group for therapy/support
- Individual counseling/ psychotherapy
- A break/ rest/ getting some “you-time”
Planning
- In-home care assistance
- Assistance choosing a funeral provider
- Cost-free cremation
- A cost-free 5-day nursing home stay
- Long-term care in a nursing or assisted-living facility
Many services are available to everyone for free. Some are available at an income-based discount. Ask your social worker for more details.
Feel free to copy this list and put your own name and branding on the bottom.
You have now broken the ice nicely. Your new clients know you and like you, and are excited about what you’ll provide. You’ve gotten to know their needs and the 5-day assessment requirement is satisfied.
Now we begin some of the more emotionally challenging topics, including advanced directives and funeral home planning. Check back in Thursday and we’ll address we’ll start to dissolve some of the confusion around advanced directives.
In the meantime, here’s something for the Pinterest lovers:
