Discussion 1: Hospice Social Work

Hospice is a concept of care that does not accelerate death or prolong life. It provides support and comfort to patients and caregivers in the face of a terminal illness that is no longer responding to standard medical treatment. Hospice services are delivered by a specialized team of health care professionals to provide comfort and dignity to patients in their last days of life. Social workers are an integral part of any hospice team. The burden of working with individuals at the end of life can be significant for members of a hospice team who are confronted with death on a daily basis. Hospice social workers in particular must be mindful of issues of secondary trauma and self-care.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review this week’s resources. Consider hospice care at the end of life and the different programs providing hospice service. Examine the quality of each program. Think about the emotional burden experienced by a hospice social worker.

Post an explanation of the importance of an interdisciplinary team in end-of-life care. 

Briefly describe different programs providing hospice care with regard to team structure and scope of services. 

Compare the roles of a social worker on a hospice team in a hospital-based program and in a home hospice program. 

Explain your feelings about the emotionally intense work of hospice care. 

Finally, explain the strategies you might consider to cope with your emotions.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources and the current literature using appropriate APA format and style.