In honor of National Social Work Month, we talked with one of our team members about social workers in hospice care. Sarah Sieh, LMSW, is a vital part of our social work team and shares about the role they play, what she wishes families knew, and the importance of this work in the hospice care setting.
What to Know About Social Workers in Hospice Care
A degree in social work opens the door to a lot of opportunities. From schools and hospitals to private practice and other clinical capacities, social workers can choose from many options. For some, hospice may not be the first setting that comes to mind, often because of the misconceptions surrounding end-of-life care. But for many social workers, hospice becomes some of the most meaningful and impactful work they will ever do.
Sarah Sieh has been at Paradigm Health for a little over a year, but has been in the social work hospice field for over two decades. Her experience is comprehensive, and so is the day-to-day possibility of what work with each patient might entail. “We assess psychosocial needs, provide counseling, facilitate difficult conversations, assist with advance care planning, and connect families with community resources,” Sarah says; but she doesn’t stop there. “We help navigate complex family dynamics, address anticipatory grief, and ensure that patients’ wishes are honored.”
It’s enough to make your head spin, but at the heart of it all Sarah shares that “hospice care is about comfort and dignity — and social workers help ensure that those values are upheld not just medically, but emotionally and socially as well. We meet people where they are, helping them find meaning, peace, and connection in the time that remains.”
Social workers in hospice care are an essential part of the interdisciplinary team that supports each patient. Social workers step in with compassion in the moment, while also coordinating with chaplains and other team members to ensure those needs are fully supported. For example, a patient may make a spiritual request; say, to read a devotion or say a prayer. Sarah says that “whatever helps them cope for the day is what we do.”
With more than two decades of experience in hospice care, Sarah has seen firsthand how often families don’t realize that social workers are there for them, too – not just the patient. “Often, loved ones are carrying immense emotional weight — balancing caregiving, work, anticipatory grief, and practical responsibilities” of everyday life,” Sarah says. “Social workers provide a safe space for families to process their feelings, ask hard questions, and express fears they may not feel comfortable sharing elsewhere.” Providing this type of safety is a way to indirectly care for the patient through supporting their familial caregivers.
Social workers provide a safe space for families to process their feelings, ask hard questions, and express fears they may not feel comfortable sharing elsewhere. Social wokers may facilitate one-on-one conversations or, when appropriate, group or family discussions.
As for patients, what does Sarah want them to know? “I wish patients understood that hospice is not about giving up. It’s about focusing on quality of life, honoring personal values and helping families feel supported and empowered.” Sarah and the other social workers on her team are dedicated to helping patients find peace and connection in whatever time remains. It’s no small feat, but it’s one in which she ardently believes.
For social workers in hospice care, being a part of the hospice journey is vital work, as well as something that requires special handling. “This isn’t my journey. I come alongside someone – the family, the patient – and walk on their journey.” This distinction is important not only because it provides a framework for the care a social worker provides, but also because it allows the patient and family to direct the care and express exactly what they need, as they are able. Ultimately, social work in hospice, like any other aspect of hospice care, is rooted in service to the patient.
While hospice care can carry a lot of weight, Sarah says, “Hospice social work is a privilege.” Again, she doesn’t stop there. “To be invited into someone’s life at such an intimate and sacred time is not something we take lightly. We witness resilience. We witness deep love. We witness vulnerability and courage. And while death is part of the journey, so is profound humanity.”
