The Social Worker provides social service activity as it relates to the health care needs of patients and their families. Works with Home Health and Hospice patients as assigned. Is a core member of the Hospice Interdisciplinary Team.

Assists with the Hospice Volunteer program. May also supervise and direct the hospice volunteer program as assigned by Homecare Director.

Assesses, understands, and helps provides services to meet patient/family psychosocial, spiritual, emotional, and economic needs in relation to the impact of illness.

Assess end of life issues and develop an appropriate plan of care.

Establishes and maintains therapeutic relationships and effective communication with the patient or caregiver to strengthen coping skills.

Provides effective counseling that allows patient or family to cope with illness, death and grief.

Assesses the social, emotional, spiritual, financial, legal and mental factors impacting the patient/family system and the capacity and potential to cope with the illness. Develops and implements current patient care plans, ensuring that problems, plans, actions, and goals are accurate and clearly stated and reflect changes as they occur.

Assists patients, family, and staff in utilizing and optimizing community resources.

Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings and facilitates discussion of issues relating to the psychosocial component of health care needs.

Provides safe, competent, age-appropriate care.

Completes documentation within established time frames.

Participates in Home Health and Hospice Interdisciplinary team meetings, Collaborates care with other care team members timely and effectively.

Work Experience

Ability to stand and walk for long periods of time and to walk up and down flights of stairs. Ability to receive and express detailed information through oral communications, visual acuity, and the ability to read and understand written directions. Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. Ability to safely operate an automobile. Drive: 2-4 hrs. per day Must be able to maneuver around architectural barriers and obstructions in patient's home. Must be able to tolerate temperature changes, smoke, fumes, dust and pets found in patient's home.

Frequent exposure to communicable disease via blood and body fluids. Frequent exposure to infectious diseases and hostile persons at times. Works with sharps and other potentially biohazardous materials. Variation in environmental temperatures. Exposure to various community environments.