Social Work Should Be More Proactive in Addressing the Need to Plan for End of Life

Abstract

Few people engage in planning for life's end and the prevalence of preparedness is particularly low in ethnic communities. As a profession, social work is well equipped to help increase planning for life's end and the care people wish to receive. However, the profession cannot simply defer to those in hospice and palliative care settings to address this issue. There is a need for earlier and equitable access to death preparation, and social workers can be instrumental in helping to insure equal opportunities for proactive planning for death. The ways social work may become more proactive in assisting individuals and families to prepare for the end-of-life are discussed.

The Impact of Personal and Professional Loss on Advance Care Planning and Effective Care Delivery for Healthcare Social Workers

“…Another limitation was that this study did not investigate the reasons for the demonstrated connections between personal histories of loss and professional practices, nor did it address gaps in healthcare of culturally diverse populations, an important aspect to consider in overcoming barriers to advance care planning. Studies have found that due to the lack of advance care planning, racial/ethnic minority patients are less likely to be referred to hospice but more likely to receive aggressive treatment at the end of life and die in a hospital (Johnson et al, 2016). Future intervention work building on this research should measure outcomes across culturally diverse populations.…”

“…Typically, advance directives are not completed with patients in medical or healthcare settings among the older population or people who are terminally ill until the discussion about end-of-life care is initiated. However, death can occur at any age or stage of life (Heyman & Gutheil, 2003; Johnson, Hong, Inoue, & Adamek, 2016). Hence, social workers could be more proactive in supporting adults of any age or disability to plan for end of life (Johnson et al, 2016; Washington et al, 2014).…”

“…However, death can occur at any age or stage of life (Heyman & Gutheil, 2003; Johnson, Hong, Inoue, & Adamek, 2016). Hence, social workers could be more proactive in supporting adults of any age or disability to plan for end of life (Johnson et al, 2016; Washington et al, 2014). Advance care planning requires people to consider their own values and preferences, contemplate, discuss with their family and providers, and complete an advance directive (Johnson et al, 2016).…”

“…Hence, social workers could be more proactive in supporting adults of any age or disability to plan for end of life (Johnson et al, 2016; Washington et al, 2014). Advance care planning requires people to consider their own values and preferences, contemplate, discuss with their family and providers, and complete an advance directive (Johnson et al, 2016). Previous literature has documented extensively that the process of advance care planning should begin when the person is healthy or stable, preferably not when he or she is dealing with a health crisis or going through a transition such as hospitalization or nursing home admission (Galambos, Starr, Rantz, & Petroski, 2016; Heyman & Gutheil, 2003; Houben et al, 2014; Stein et al, 2017).…”