Social Support

In addition to the challenges of caring for your loved one at home, your family may face other issues associated with serious illness, family relations or grief. Our team of social workers and trained volunteers are ready to stand beside you throughout all of these challenges.

Social Workers from Chautauqua Hospice & Palliative Care are professionals licensed by the state of New York with master’s-level education and training. They provide confidential counseling and assistance for complicated family matters and finances as well as emotional and interpersonal concerns.

Depending on your loved one’s and family’s needs and wishes, social workers can help with:

• Completing advance directives
• Representing and advocating for your non-medical interests with our team
• Problem-solving related to caregiving, insurance coverage, financial problems, family conflict, safety, unfinished business and last wishes
• Facilitating transitions between care settings (hospital, nursing home and home), including arrangements for caregiver respite, vacation and transfers
• Assessing family needs and making connections to community resources
• Connecting patients to non-medical pain management, including relaxation and breathing techniques, self-talk, reminiscence and distraction
• Assessing and treating emotional and spiritual pain and conflict
• Counseling or referral to specialized treatment
• Connecting patients to therapies, such as massage, music or art therapy
• Assisting family members of all ages with issues of grief, loss and bereavement, and connecting them to resources or programs to manage their pain
• Identifying complicated grief and risk factors and providing counseling or referral to specialized treatment
• Funeral planning

Whatever the challenge, our Social Workers stand ready to help families overcome it.