Caring, concerned, committed - BGH social workers

There's a poster in the hallway just outside the Bonner General Hospital Social Services office inviting us to celebrate March as National Professional Social Work Month. The poster is illustrated with a big, red heart and the words "Caring, Concerned, Committed."

Illness and injury affect every aspect of our lives and the lives of our family members. Medical social workers provide the support and resources we need to see us through medical, practical and emotional issues surrounding illness both during the hospital stay and after the patient has been discharged.

Social workers support and assist families throughout the many facets of hospital care. They may be found in the emergency department helping a family through the frightening experience of a health crisis. Or they might be found in the Family Centered Maternity Unit advocating for infants in order to assure that they are discharged to a safe environment or to help new families in procuring adequate housing, clothing and food.

Social workers are also advocates for the elderly as resource specialists regarding placement needs or any of the myriad changing needs that exist throughout a lifespan.

It is practical support, mixed with emotional support that makes BGH Social Services so successful in providing quality patient care. No matter whom they work with or what the situation, social workers strive to be compassionate, understanding and professional at all times.

BGH social workers are easily recognized throughout the hospital checking on patients, working to coordinate follow-up care, or meeting with nurses and doctors to discuss patient needs. They combine forces and resources with nurses, physicians, rehabilitation therapists, medical equipment suppliers and community resources to ensure that each patient's needs are met.

The Social Services Department is also available by phone to the community when information and referrals to local programs and resources are needed. This can be of significant value in seeking and securing assistance with affordable medical care as well as housing, food, and transportation.

Bonner General Hospital would like to recognize all of our social services professionals and staff for the excellent care they provide.???Hospice, home health social workers show caring, dedicationLife can change in a second. And when it does, social workers can often help.Social work is a demanding, varied field that requires a high level of empathy, compassion, understanding, and most of all respect for the client's rights to self-determination and dignity. Bonner Community Hospice and Bonner General Hospital Home Health social workers demonstrate all of the above. Helping families work through difficult times are all in a day's work for these dedicated professionals. Serious and terminal illness can be devastating and confusing for both the patients and their families. Social workers are available throughout to ensure that families and patients have the resources they require to successfully adapt to life changes.Need for supportive, professional care doesn't come to an end outside a hospital environment. Hospice and Home Health social workers are patient advocates away from the hospital, making house calls, helping family members cope with often newly-defined responsibilities and locating much needed resources. Home health social workers assist people along the path to recovery from sudden or chronic illness. They are available to help patients regain their independence after a life-changing injury or illness by identifying resources, providing emotional support and adapting to new goals for life expression. Hospice social workers work with clients and their families facing life limiting illnesses. "Providing services that will enhance the quality of life and provide support for the individual and family while respecting their wishes during the course of the terminal illness is what hospice social workers do best," says Debra Kellerman, director for Bonner Community Hospice and supervisor for social workers in the hospice and home health departments. "Health care changes and end of life decision making create complex issues for individuals and often concerns their most dearly held fears, values and beliefs. Social workers handle these delicate issues with skilled and insightful support."March is National Social Work Month. The social workers at Bonner Community Hospice and Bonner General Hospital Home Health contribute to the quality of life for patients and their families facing the problems associated with illness. In celebration of this month, please join Bonner General Hospital in thanking our team of professional social workers for the critical role they play in our communities when life delivers the unexpected.