March 5, 2012
Dear Letters to the Editor:
March is National Social Work Month which makes it an appropriate time for us to salute the valuable and important job that social workers provide all year long. When life’s challenges become overwhelming, many people turn to a social worker for help. Here at Big Bend Hospice, we have fifteen social workers who serve as family support counselors, grief counselors and Caring Tree counselors. They work tirelessly with our patients and families to help them cope with the many emotional and practical issues that accompany a life limiting illness. These dedicated professionals assist with everything from coordinating community resources to helping families solve personal and financial problems, to working through the emotional pain of dealing with an impending death. They recognize the family dynamics that are part of any life threatening disease and help patients reach out to conclude the important business of giving and receiving love and asking for and granting forgiveness. Often it is the social worker who will pause to recognize a special occasion in a patient’s life and make sure that a birthday is celebrated or a caregiver gets a night out. Our wonderful social workers are an important part of our patient care team and our Big Bend Hospice family.
The theme for the 2012 National Social Work Month is “Social Work Matters”. Time and again I have witnessed the powerful results of social workers both in our organization and in hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities in recognizing and meeting the needs of the people they serve. On behalf of Big Bend Hospice we applaud social workers for their caring hearts and their important contributions to our community.
Cathy Adkison, RN, BSN, CHPN
President and CEO
Big Bend Hospice
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