Over the course of her career, Vera never emphasized private practice feeling it was too isolating in terms of her capacity to effect change.  Above all, she said she stressed the importance of distrusting simple answers and instead dealing with complexity in the area of human behavior.

After the passing of her husband, the nature of her work extended to a broader field as she did international consulting, establishing relationships in Europe.  “I had the great opportunity to meet some extraordinarily gifted people from whom I did learn much,” she said.

According to Vera, her profession was interrupted almost overnight when she lost the capacity to read over two years ago because of a physical change in the structure of her eye. As her eyesight continued to diminish, she found it impossible to operate independently with certain tasks such as money management.  Fortunately, she was connected to Kate Finan of Finan Financial Care, LLC, who has specialized in the daily money management needs of seniors in the area since 1993.

When Kate visits Vera, they consider the priority of items such as paying bills and making donations to charities; reconciling the checkbook; and reviewing and making decisions on how to respond to a fairly large volume of mail.  Vera has also appreciated the focus on her need for legal help as they have established a will and other important documents.  “She has been great in helping me organize the practical aspects of my life under the condition of diminished sight; she acts as an alter ego,” said Vera.

She also said she has found a connection with Kate as far as her capacity to see the complexity of what Vera has to deal with beyond simple solutions.

“In this relationship with Kate, what is paramount is the mutual recognition that the problem is not in a loss of mental capacity but rather in the capacity to deal with practical everyday problems,” said Vera.  “Without her help, I would have been stressed and unable to manage my current life.”

Hospital social work services are available to all inpatients and some outpatients at no extra charge. Consult your hospital for details on any additional costs for services. These services can help patients and their families cope with the reality of an injury or illness by offering counseling, referrals to support groups and community resources, and by helping to make arrangements for post hospital care at home or in a long-term care facility.

Seniors in particular may benefit from the practical and emotional assistance that hospital social workers offer. From admission to discharge, social workers can help patients and their families adjust to the hospital setting. They can help connect patients with needed service providers, such as mental health professionals, home health care providers, legal aid services, and countless other community and government agencies. Helping patients deal with the stress of separation from their home and family, the potential need for surgery, and the reality of long-term illnesses and rehabilitation is also part of the social worker’s job.

For families, social workers are particularly helpful because they can serve as a link between the health-care team and the family–helping families to understand and deal with the patient’s condition. In the case of terminal illness, social workers are there to offer families the opportunity to express their anger and fear. They can also offer assistance with financial arrangements by providing information about possible sources of financial aid.

Hospital social workers frequently serve as discharge planners, who help patients and their families arrange post-hospital care, which can include home care or a transfer to a long-term care facility. They can offer information and recommendations for all levels of home and facility care, which can help patients and their families deal with the emotional and financial realties of post-hospital care.

In order to receive hospital social work services as an inpatient, you simply need to ask your physician or a nurse to have the social worker visit you. If you are an outpatient who would like the assistance of a hospital social worker, you can call the social work services department of your local hospital. Social workers are available to all patients in order to help ease the stress of an illness or injury; their services can help to make a difficult time much easier for you and your family.