Social workers aided me on several levels while I was caring for multiple elders. Their expertise and care was invaluable as I navigated complicated forms and had to make tough decisions for my elders. Because of my experiences with social workers, a recent article from The Huffington Post revealed startling news: there are not enough social workers to deal with our ever growing and aging population.
Ilaina Edison, Senior Vice President for Operations at Visiting Nurse Service of New York, writes:
Experts estimate that we are falling exponentially short of our current need for 60,000 to 70,000 social workers with an expertise in aging…Clearly, social workers specializing in the needs of our aging population will continue to be in demand…
The various components of elder care are challenging at best and our elders increasingly need help finding their way through the vast health care system. Edison continues:
Social workers…help seniors navigate their entitlement benefits; secure affordable housing; gain access to the physical and mental health care they need; manage their finances; find translators and transportation and connect to community resources such as senior centers, religious charities, or community centers that can empower and enrich their lives.
Social workers helped me during tough times
As I noted earlier, I encountered several social workers during my elder care journey. One social worker helped our family make the decision to hire in-home care for a few hours a day to care for my uncle, as none of the family could be with him as much as was needed.
Later, when my dad needed to be admitted to a local nursing home, the social worker who guided us through the paperwork process was thoughtful and caring. A different social worker was our nursing home floor contact, and we worked together on numerous issues. Since I was a daily visitor, we developed a friendship of sorts.
Eventually, my suffering dad required hospice care. I’ll long be grateful to the hospice social worker who came to my workplace to help me fill out forms. Then, as hospice took over medical care, the social worker assigned to my father’s case was extremely supportive. Eventually, we went through the same scenario a second time during the final stages of my mother’s life.
Social workers not attracted by pay but by passion
Unfortunately, many of the caring professions in our society are not the professions that pay top dollar. However, because of their vital role, we need to continue to attract passionate, dedicated individuals to these fields. It is true that no one goes into social work to become wealthy. Yet, they make a difference that goes far beyond monetary value.
Kudos to those social workers who shine at what they do. May they be treated well and be appreciated by those of us who benefit from their caring hearts and expertise.
Posted in Caregiving, Support | No Comments »Tags: Caregiving, social work
