Social Work in Hospice Care
Social workers play a central role in hospice and palliative care at The Connecticut Hospice. Serious illness often brings intense emotions and difficult transitions, both for patients and for the people who love them. Families may be navigating fear, grief, uncertainty, or long-standing family dynamics, all while making complex care decisions.
Social workers help in these moments, offering guidance, understanding, and practical support when it’s needed most. They help patients and families make sense of what they’re facing and address what comes next with more confidence.
How Social Workers Support Patients and Families
Social workers are part of the interdisciplinary care team and work closely with nurses, physicians, chaplains, and others to support quality of life and informed decision-making. Their role may include:
Emotional support and counseling during serious illness and at the end of life
Helping patients and families prepare for what lies ahead
Advocating for a patient’s wishes and values
Supporting communication within families and care teams
Connecting families to community resources and practical assistance
Support begins with a thoughtful psychosocial assessment and continues as needs change over time.
Guidance, Advocacy, & Connection
Social workers help patients and families feel less alone as they move through grief, loss, and transition. They offer a listening ear, help reduce emotional distress, and support healthy coping during an incredibly challenging chapter.
By advocating for patient goals and connecting families with resources beyond hospice care, social workers help create a more stable, supported experience—one that honors the needs of everyone involved.
Focusing on Patients, Not Profits, Since 1974.
Comprehensive Support Options
Medical Support Measures
Physician-guided care focused on pain relief and symptom management.
Pastoral Care and Spiritual Support
Support for reflection, meaning, or faith, regardless of beliefs or traditions.
Social Work
Guidance and emotional support as families navigate decisions, stress, and change.
Therapies (PT/OT/ST)
Home-based therapies that support safety, function, and independence.
Volunteer Support
Presence and companionship, often from those with personal hospice experience.
Different Locations.
One Approach to Care.
Whether at home, in skilled care or assisted living facilities, or at The Connecticut Hospice’s Branford hospital, we care for patients and families together—because serious illness affects everyone involved.
Our interdisciplinary team collaborates across care settings to support physical comfort and well-being while addressing emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Care plans are tailored to each individual and adjusted as circumstances change, helping families feel supported, informed, and never alone throughout their journey.
Licensed, Certified, Accredited Hospital
Our 52-bed waterfront hospital is available to all our home care patients, as well as new patients referred by families or our community partners.
This facility provides 24/7 expert-level symptom management, including infused pain medications and rapid dose adjustments for patients whose symptoms cannot be managed at home.
Licensed, Certified, Accredited Home Care
Our home care services support patients in private homes, assisted living communities, and skilled nursing facilities across all levels of palliative and hospice care.
Care is delivered by interdisciplinary teams focused on comfort, caregiver support, and continuity, allowing patients to remain at home whenever clinically appropriate.
Admissions
Admission to The Connecticut Hospice is a collaborative process guided by each patient’s needs and goals of care.
Our team works closely with patients, families, and referring providers to ensure the right level of support, in the right setting, at the right time.
A Comprehensive Approach
At The Connecticut Hospice, families and caregivers are an essential part of the care experience. That’s why we support patients and the people who love them together.
Care plans are shaped around shared goals, personal needs, and what matters most in daily life. Our interdisciplinary team works across settings and services to ensure care is coordinated, responsive, and attentive to the emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of everyone involved.
We help bring clarity and compassion to serious illness, so patients and loved ones can focus on the moments that matter most.
How Can We Help?
Make a Donation
As a local not-for-profit, The Connecticut Hospice relies on donor support to provide individualized services and therapies not fully covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.
Your generosity helps ensure that every patient and family receives the care, comfort, and support they need, regardless of circumstances.