Navigating home care can sometimes be challenging for families as you figure out if you can financially afford care and cope with your loved one needing home care. You may struggle knowing what services your loved one needs and how to get them.
During this challenging time, medical social workers can be a great help in figuring everything out.
At WellSpring Home Health, we offer several services and financial options. However, our medical social worker team is vital for ensuring your loved one’s transition to home care is a success. Here is how they can help and why you should include a medical social worker in your home care journey.
Are you interested in home care? Call us today!
What is Home Care?
If you or a loved one requires assistance living independently, home care is an excellent option. This option can include both skilled or unskilled services and allows seniors to age in place without leaving the comfort of their own homes.
Skilled Services
Skilled services can include any medical help that is needed, including:
- Skilled nurses/ registered nurses help with pain management, chronic conditions, and more.
- Physical therapy helps with mobility, coordination, and pain management.
- Speech therapy helps with neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
- Occupational therapy can help with mobility, pain management, fall prevention, and more.
- A home health aide/ certified nurse assistant (CNA) can help with daily activities and psychological support.
These services can help with seemingly more minor things from medication management to more significant tasks like proper physical therapy plans to maintain mobility and manage pain. Receiving these services from home can be easier for patients who may be “homebound.” And access to medical care in the comfort of your own home will allow you to be at ease and have time for other things, such as hobbies and spending time with family.
Unskilled Services
Unskilled services will help with daily tasks that may have become difficult, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and more. You can even receive assistance with tasks such as shopping, light housekeeping, running errands, laundry, and other items that will make your life easier. Some work that WellSpring Home Health offers include:
- Meal preparation/ feeding assistance
- Housekeeping/ running errands
- Mobility/ transportation
- Bowel/ bladder care
- Bathing/ showering/ grooming
What Are Medical Social Workers?
Medical social workers can help patients or families cope with illnesses. They can help you understand the illness or condition that has changed your life. Often, they will help with the emotional, financial, or social needs that arise from home care.
Some medical social workers will advocate for their patients while assuring them that their medical needs are being met. They typically work in hospitals, outpatient centers, hospice centers, rehabilitation facilities, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, and home health agencies. These environments allow patients to get help wherever they are.
What Services Do Medical Service Workers Provide?
Depending on where they work, the services medical service workers provider may be slightly different. However, medical social workers are there to help the patients in any way they need. Some general services that they can help you with include:
- Reviewing admission documentation and addressing any issues with them
- Assisting in patient discharging
- Coordinating the care of patients with complex needs that require multiple services or time
- Helping handle any crisis that arises with counseling or therapy
- Aiding in understanding the financial or emotional resources that are available to you
At WellSpring Home Health, our medical social workers can help you cope with the personal, physical, and emotional effects of a disease or disability. They can also help you find and access resources for finances and community assistance programs, like home meal deliveries.
Do you have more questions about medical social work? Call us today!
Who Can Benefit From a Medical Social Worker?
The short answer is that everyone can benefit from a medical social worker. Since it can be difficult to transition to home care, a social worker can help ensure the process goes smoothly.. However, a few groups of people may need more assistance during their time in home care.
Elderly Patients
As people age, the likelihood of needing help at home, skilled or unskilled, becomes more prominent. Elderly care can be received in the comfort of your own home. There are many benefits to receiving home care, such as not stressing about receiving care, spending more time doing hobbies and with family, and receiving personalized care.
Medical social workers can help older adults with paperwork, financial resources, and emotional aid. Sometimes paperwork can be complicated, so having help can be a great way to get the care you need while not stressing how to receive it.
Pediatric Patients
Some children may need medical help, and receiving it at home can be a great way to avoid disrupting their life too much. At WellSpring Home health, we provide holistic treatments for children with complex medical issues or developmental disabilities who otherwise may experience frequent or prolonged hospitalizations.
Medical social workers can be a great help to parents. You’re already stressed with your child needing care, having someone to help with the financial and emotional burden of finding resources can be spared with medical social workers.
Veterans
Veterans and surviving spouses can receive personalized home care services that will maintain their quality of life and allow them to stay in their homes. Some veterans may not live near VA facilities, and receiving home care may be the best option.
Having a medical social worker on your home care team can help determine which services you can qualify for. They’ll help you understand the paperwork and how your care is being paid for.
Why Choose WellSpring Home Health?
WellSpring Home Health is an excellent option for receiving home care and having quality help from our medical social work team. They can help you understand anything challenging to understand.
Once you’ve qualified for home care, our team can help you coordinate which services you can receive. They’ll also help you with any financial questions that you have, including:
- How do I pay for home care?
- Does my insurance help cover the costs?
- What other financial issues should I know about?
They’ll also help you find which people to talk to about your personalized care plan. With their help on your home care team, the process will be easier and help relieve your stress.
WellSpring Home Health is dedicated to ensuring quality care in the security and comfort of your own home. We provide services to clients in Wasilla, Anchorage, and Tacoma, whether it’s 24-hour complex care or weekly visits to help with meals and household errands.
Our work is based on two fundamental philosophies. First, each person has innate worth, regardless of their health, age, race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin. Second, each person is entitled to maximize their potential, enjoy the quality of life, and maximize their potential. That’s why we treat all our patients like our own family.
Ready to have a medical social worker help you with home care? Contact us today!