Social Services & Bereavement in Portland, OR
Free Social Services & Bereavement in Hospice Care
When patients think of hospice care, they think about the support and medical attention provided by the healthcare physicians and nurses keeping them comfortable. But the services at Agape Hospice NW in Portland, OR go far beyond patient comfort and illness management. Our team of professional medical social workers provides our patients and their families with essential social and bereavement services to help them navigate this difficult time. The best part? Our all-inclusive program means patients and families can enjoy these free services with no out-of-pocket costs to receive them. Providing you and your loved one with a dedicated advocate enables your questions to be answered by a knowledgeable professional that is proactively working for you.
What We Offer
Social workers play a critical role in society by helping people solve and manage everyday problems. What does a medical social worker do? They take on the same role for patients in hospice care to advocate for the patient’s and family’s best interests. Our experienced medical social workers are with you every step of the way to help explain complex terminology or processes that may be unfamiliar to you and your family. Some of the advantages of having one of our medical social workers at your side include:
End-of-Life Planning
Some families have had conversations and already made end-of-life arrangements, such as funeral and burial preferences. For those that haven’t, that discussion can be another worry in an already difficult time. With the guidance of your medical social worker, you’ll have professional assistance with planning and legal documentation from an advocate you can trust.
Increasing Support at Home
Terminal illness comes with emotional and psychological stress for both the patient and their family. Medical social workers are trained in this area to provide support and counseling to all involved to help manage feelings and emotions. Additionally, your representative will help you take advantage of resources in your community, such as supplemental care at home, nursing home placement, applying for family medical leave (FMLA), and other programs.
Explaining & Understanding Health Care Needs
There may be various medical treatments and options for your loved one depending on their illness and condition. Our experienced medical social workers will help explain the different choices. You will understand what they mean while gaining insight into which option might be best based on what’s important to your family.
Bereavement
Preparing for the loss of a loved one is challenging, and the emotions accompanying it are often the hardest to manage. Family members react differently, and emotions can include sadness, denial, anger, guilt, anxiety, depression, and loss of appetite. These are all normal feelings after a loss. Your medical social worker will provide grief services to help manage emotions and keep a peaceful home where family members are comfortable expressing their feelings.
Advocating for Patients & Families
A consultation at Agape Hospice NW starts with a psychosocial assessment to determine your loved one’s needs. The goal is to improve their quality of life and create a positive and safe environment. Your medical social worker will also learn about the family dynamics to gain insight into their life situation and how it contributes to their mental and emotional state. Managing emotional struggles and financial burdens will be a focus of our program. The ultimate purpose of a medical social worker on your side is to ensure your family’s wishes are heard so our team of hospice medical professionals can carry them out. With a proactive approach from our medical social worker, we can ensure the best outcome for all new families to hospice care, and we provide this at no cost to you. Contact us to schedule an appointment for Social Services & Bereavement in Portland, OR.