ANN ARBOR, Mich. (March 1, 2023) – Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice, both members of NorthStar Care Community, are celebrating their dedicated team of statewide social workers during National Social Work Month in March.
While social workers are trained to help vulnerable people work through challenges in their life, hospice social workers are specially skilled to care for patients nearing end-of-life. They work directly with all individuals involved in a patient’s care, including patients, family members, physicians, nurse practitioners and more.
Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice rely on social workers across the state to deliver compassionate and competent care to hospice patients. The not-for-profits are proud to celebrate those who break barriers and advocate for their patients.
“Our team of social workers have the compassion, commitment and training it takes to support hospice patients and their families,” said Karen Monts, practice manager of counseling services and grief support services director for Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice. “End-of-life is a particularly vulnerable time – the counseling, education and guidance they provide are critical for families struggling with the emotional toll of a difficult situation. We are incredibly thankful for the kindness and expertise of our beloved social workers.”
Hospice social workers offer countless benefits to the patients, families and not-for-profits they serve, including:
- Helping a family fill out medical paperwork,
- Arranging homemaker services for a hospice patient and spouse living alone,
- Listening to patients needs and concerns to connect them to resources,
- Working collaboratively with nursing staff to assist in reducing pain and discomfort,
- Developing personalized care plans for each patient and their caregiver to address mental health concerns,
- Providing suggestions for non-therapeutic interventions,
- Assisting families with having difficult conversations at end-of-life,
- Advanced Care planning, funeral planning and even placement of dependent children,
- Providing counseling, education and emotional guidance to support families,
- Providing accommodating care to all cultures, traditions, values and family systems.
To learn more about Hospice of Michigan, visit hom.org. To learn more about Arbor Hospice, visit arborhospice.org.
About NorthStar Care Community
NorthStar Care Community (NSCC) was created to preserve and promote the mission of nonprofit hospice and palliative care – to deliver expert, compassionate care to patients of any age, no matter their diagnoses, complexity of care, place of residence or ability to pay. NorthStar Care Community was formed in 2017 by two legacy nonprofit hospice agencies – Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice – and also includes NorthStar Palliative Care, the NorthStar Institute and Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children. As members of the NSCC family, the organizations combine operational resources in order to maximize support at each patient’s bedside, delivering the highest standards of care to those who are seriously ill. In total, NorthStar Care Community members serve more than 6,100 patients annually across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. For more information about NorthStar Care Community, visit www.northstarcarecommunity.org.