Individuals and families cannot handle the challenging decisions and presenting emotional complexities surrounding end-of-life at home (West Virginia Public, 2010). For this, it becomes necessary to have social workers in these end games. This is because it assures that they are empowered through education, advanced care planning, and emotional support guaranteed by the input of the social workers. The strength-based model is based on dignity, well-being, and cultural appropriateness of end-of-life care as prescribed by the NASW Code of Ethics.
Exploring End-of-Life Care Options and the Importance of Advance Directives
According to (West Virginia Public, 2010), End-of-life care options include palliative care, which consists of hospice, home care, respite care, and assisted living that may safeguard the comfort, support, and dignity of a terminally ill person. All medical severe decisions that the person may face in future choice of care are prepared in advance to use tools such as living wills and health care proxies. Discussing one’s preferences with health care professionals and close people is the sure way to maintain unity of values and goals with the desired end-of-life care.
An advance directive maintains health rights, essential documents consisting of a living will and a medical power of attorney, and a Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) form. A living will describe one’s wishes, like those related to end-of-life care, if particular eventualities occur. A medical power of attorney designates another individual to make the healthcare decisions of a person in any scenario (Mack & Dosa, 2020). The POST form is a physician order that directly translates preferences into actionable instructions for healthcare providers concerning wishes to be followed in all settings.
In so doing, the relevant persons make evident their wishes and appoint spokespeople, who maintain much independence of the formers, are better put to access care endeavors more acclimated with the specific set of values of the peoples, and are more able to make their voice heard, it all leads to better coordination of care and communication between patients, their healthcare proxies, and medical professionals, and better provision of more patient-centered and patient-specific care at the end of life care.
The Role of Social Workers in End-of-Life Care: Providing Comprehensive Support and Guidance
Social work largely contributes to easing end-of-life care by offering the much-needed emotional support, direction, and tools to the people and families it serves (West Virginia Public, 2010). It helps the patients in advance care planning discussions and records their preferences by facilitating advance directives. Social workers offer psychosocial assessment to the patient, counseling, and bereavement support. They help provide access to community resources for patients found within hospice, those that have effective patient care, and support groups. Social workers also maintain roles that promote holistic care and dignity, well-being, and patient’s quality of life in end-of-life situations.
Strategies for Enhancing Autonomy and Dignity
Ideally, the central creeds in the delivery of end-of-life care that could be actualized include education, advance care planning, shared decision-making, emotional and advocacy support, the ability to have access to resources, and addressing cultural sensitivity. Moreover, it contains ways an individual can be empowered and participate actively in their caring by providing total information needed, support in making up advanced directives, participation in decision-making, providing emotional and psychosocial support, advocacy of their right, linking to resources, and respecting the varied belief of people from the particular cultural group. This will ensure the respect of the deceased and assure that their voices will be heard in support of walking along the path to seeking end-of-life care with respect and empowerment.
Applying Strength-Based Model and NASW Code of Ethics: Enhancing Support for Clients and Families in End-of-Life Care
The model we use is strength-based, not only for the patients and families at the bed of death but also for the patients, clients, and their families. According to (Swick et al.,2021), the NASW Code of Ethics generally includes respect for autonomy, confidentiality, and efforts in equity through access and diversity. Therefore, it is about giving a non-judgmental listening ear, individual counseling, and support groups. Bearing this in mind, as the care coordinator, we work in collaboration with health teams to ensure there is good communication, advocacy for preferences, and mobilization of access to hospice financial resources; we mobilize, carry out leading or flapping for advance care planning, education on directives and make sure they are executed, family counseling addressed, communication, conflict, grief barriers with building bridges facilitated, a more meaningful connection and help the families navigate their roles, and journeys of responsibilities through most profound experiences in life.
Cultural Competence in End-of-Life Care: Navigating Diverse Cultural Values for Enhanced Support
Cultural competence plays a vital role in forming part of the duty of a social worker while dealing with people approaching end-of-life care. This implies being open, respecting, and ready to learn from the client and family’s cultural values and traditions that are different from our own. (Ha, et al.,2023) argue that all decisions regarding the preference of cultural values and traditional preferences seeking end-of-life care, views on pain management, life-sustaining treatments, and even rituals come into play at the time of death.
Giving culturally competent care generally means understanding and respecting the context within which clients function and follow their beliefs and practices. This would entail active listening, respectfully asking questions, and keeping oneself open to learning from the client and the family. Do not assume; let the customer guide you to make an opening to the underlying values and preferences. The cultural brokers may also be service providers, community leaders, or spiritual advisors who act as bridges with better knowledge and make care plans based on their clients’ cultural constructs. In the final analysis, our role in supporting the client in developing informed choices that are precious to them is vital to this function, ensuring that such people have the necessary resources and support during these severe journeys.
In sum, social workers play a vital role in helping patients nearing the end-of-life stage in the continued empowerment of both the individual and the family. How social workers ensure dignity, personalization, and end-of-life care that line up with the clients’ value systems include strength-based models, ethics, emotional support, facilitation of advance care planning, and advocacy for preferences.
References
West Virginia Public. (2010, December 28). The Last Chapter – End of Life Decisions [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jKUZ8lS9b4
Swick, D. C., Dyson, Y. D., & Webb, E. B. (2021). Navigating a pandemic, racial disparities, and social work education through the lens of the NASW Code of Ethics. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 27(1), 84–93.
Ha, J. H., Lee, C., & Yoo, J. (2023). Cultural differences in advance care planning and implications for practice. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 87(3), 838-855.
Mack, D. S., & Dosa, D. (2020). Improving advanced care planning through physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) expansion across the United States: lessons learned from state-based developments. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 37(1), 19-26.
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