Social Workers Are Essential for Residents Care and Safety

March was the month we celebrated National Social Workers. We need their services daily and in the senior living community hourly! You may wonder what is the role of the social worker in the senior living environment? They wear many hats in senior living facilities from educating staff to assessing your loved ones for their care needs. We are very thankful for them. 

Roles of Social Workers in the Senior Living Community Include the Following:

Help Elders Adjust to New Living Arrangements

Sometimes adjusting to new living arrangements can be overwhelming and cause anxiousness. Social workers provide your loved one individual counseling or family counseling as needed throughout this adjustment. Also, they can help keep your records in order for any other needs your loved one may require medically. 

Advocating for Seniors Needs and Rights

Social workers are needed to advocate for your loved one’s needs and rights. They work hard to make sure the patient is cared for and their rights are protected. It is their duty to stay up with the legislative changes in policies and to make sure patients’ rights are protected. They are very important in protecting your aging loved one as legislative policy changes. 

Providing Supportive Counseling

Social workers are key in educating not only families on their needs and rights for their aging loved ones, but they also educate staff on the psychosocial needs of our residents. Social workers address the multicultural and diversity needs of residents to make sure everyone is up to speed on advocating and assisting their residents. The work of the social worker on behalf of your aging parent is very valuable in assisting them in getting the best care for their needs.

Make Psychosocial Assessments

 What is this assessment you may ask? When a new resident comes to our facility, they require a psychosocial assessment to determine the level of care they will need. It is essential to determine if they need counseling or psychiatric intervention. The goal of the assessment is to make sure the resident is evaluated based on their biological, psychological and social needs for them to get the proper care. This is all in compliance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Once this assessment is complete the social worker conveys the results to the team of caregivers which usually includes the medical staff, occupational therapists, physical therapists or other professionals that are a part of the individual’s care team.

The above explores many of the important roles of social workers in our aging population. Social workers also help with administrative duties, manage case notes and also conduct educational seminars or sessions with other staff members to keep them updated on residents’ needs.  We are thankful for their work and dedication to help us give the best possible care to our residents at Continuing Healthcare Solutions. Our goal is to help your aging loved one journey through the next stage of life with dignity. Do you have more questions to help your aging parents? Call us today or visit our website for locations and more information.