I have just been linked to an interesting working group that has developed a brand new resource for social workers: The role of social work in palliative, end of life and bereavement treatment. This resource goals to ensure individuals take advantage of great social work at the end of their life, and that family and friends close to them are supported during this period and into death.
Lived experience
The resource has been jointly generated by social workers and individuals with lived experience of end-of-life care. Throughout, it explains to you those experiences and these showcase the ways that social workers can easily make a difference when working alongside those who are dying or bereaved.
Here are a few of the key messages from the resource for social work practice, plus the voices of individuals with lived experience:
1. ‘I would like health workers to be optimistic and express what's going on in the right way without getting negative. I am really positive about my life.’ (Phone interview with woman who uses a drop in centre). Social workers can understand people’s desire for acknowledgement and for a person to listen to them. We can display confidence and sensitivity in obtaining the appropriate time to speak about death and dying, making sure that individuals can be in control, plan in advance and also accomplish what is important to them.
2. ‘It is going to be my wife who makes decisions for me, whenever I’m no longer able. Nevertheless I have it all written down, things of significance to me. It’s all down on paper.’ (Man in his eighties attending a hospice day centre). Social workers can help people to make decisions, advocate for, and challenge with and on behalf of folks. Where necessary, we are able to make use of the law to enable men and women to take control.
3. ‘Enabling individuals to live their life just as they want - it’s more than the medicine, it is something aside from treatment. Ease and comfort? Peacefulness?’ (Bereaved man in his 60's). Social workers can be sure that someone’s experience is at the centre of what transpires. We are able to make use of evidence, legislation and systems to allow folks to live the lifestyles they want.
4. ‘I don’t want sympathy, simply help and support. I don’t want people feeling remorseful for me. It’s some support, I suppose, practical help and support.’ (Woman attending a drop in centre, age unknown). Social workers can help folks to understand their own capabilities and mobilise their own resources, provide information and facts and also practical support, synchronize services and also negotiate solutions. Where necessary, we are able to deal with paperwork.
5. ‘I don't like it, whenever people who have not been sick say to you ‘Oh you are so brave!’ I hate that. I just want to be treated as me. Just see me as I was and forget cancer. It’s not all that I am.’ (Lady in her 60's/70's in a hospice day centre). Social workers can help folks to sustain their identity despite change. We can easily help individuals to accumulate memories and to leave memories behind.
6. ‘It continues to be hard to ask for help, I didn’t want to and I couldn’t ? The good news is I am coming round. Yes, it is terminal and I know I need assistance now.’ (Woman in her sixties/seventies inside a hospice day centre). Social workers may embrace diversified requirements and develop different ways of supporting people. We are able to explain how care works and assist people discover how to access emergency help and support.
7. ‘People need to learn how bloody hard this is likely to be. We shouldn’t guard men and women. This isn’t likely to be easy. It’s going to be bloody hard.’ (Bereaved husband in his sixties). Social workers can really help men and women close to someone that is passing away to discover the support they need. We can help people take care of practicalities soon after death and follow up with people who are bereaved in the way that works best for them.
Vision for palliative care social work
Our vision for social work in palliative, end-of-life and death care is: people will gain access to a palliative care social worker with the capabilities and resources to help them whenever they need it, and also all social workers should be able to assist people, their own families, and people close to them to realize the value of what they can do and give to each other at the end of their life and during bereavement, and also to obtain the help and support they need.
Here is exactly what a few of the social workers we spoke said about their role:
‘Tom had an impact on the entire staff team and I arranged a reflective space the next week for employees to share memories and ideas of their work with him and also the family. It was well attended and allowed us all to state our feelings. Rest In Peace Tom.’ (End-of-life care social worker). Palliative care social workers are a source of expertise and support for some other professions and agencies. They could boost awareness, mentor and still provide advice to other people. They can perform investigation and get together evidence of precisely what allows for a good passing.
‘We work holistically, combining emotional and practical expertise, to permit people to achieve what matters most to them. We are active in improving things, we're flexible and adaptive, and we're at our best as enablers when we're least conspicuous.’ (Resource working team). All social workers need to be prepared to support those who are dying, going through loss or bereaved.
The social work contribution
We hope that the resource will be made use of by palliative care social workers to enhance understanding of their function and the involvement they can make, and by those people who are dying and those close to them to request social work support. We hope that social workers will make use of the resource to examine their practice, and also to identify the support they need to develop their knowledge and skills.
Business employers, leaders, commissioners, funders, colleagues from alternative professions and educators may use this resource to discover the contribution that social workers could make, also to detect how to support and develop this area of practice.
Above all, we hope that the accounts of people’s ordeals will make it possible for social workers to improve our ability to support folks at this challenging and greatly human moment.
