Written by Robyn Horn

This month our nation celebrates and thanks social workers for their dedication and service to all those in need.  The theme for Social Work Month 2021 is Social Workers Are Essential, and I couldn’t agree more!  Who would have thought this time last year we would be in the midst of a global pandemic?  I recall presenting my last live in-person CEU to a group of social workers on March 3, 2020.  As we kicked off the month celebrating and thanking them for all they do for the elderly, their families, and the community, the world suddenly stopped.  I think we all agree that social workers deserve a do-over this year!

Social Workers are Essential.  Looking back over the last year, I recall story after story of these dedicated professionals tending to the physical, mental, and psychosocial needs of their clients, patients, and residents.  Seniors have been isolated during this pandemic – in their nursing and assisted living facilities, in their senior living communities, and in their homes. Sadly, this has taken a toll on their emotional health.  That’s where Social Workers have been “standing in the gap”.

I came across this example and believe it paints a perfect picture of how social workers have been, are, and will continue to be essential in these unprecented times:

Esther Jo Alcorn, a social worker in the emergency room of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, recently spent two hours sitting in a car with the wife of an elderly patient.

“On a normal day, I would have met with her in a hospital family room and provided emotional support and education surrounding her husband’s condition and care,” Alcorn says.

But since no visitors are permitted in the hospital now, Alcorn sat in the woman’s car and checked in by phone with the medical staff every 30 minutes, providing the woman with constant updates about her husband.

“This kept her aware, focused, and calm,” says Alcorn.

Every day, Alcorn is doing whatever she can to make sure patients and their family members are supported physically, mentally, and emotionally.

“With COVID-19, many of the cases are elderly couples who have been married for 40, 50, 60, or more years, and now one spouse is being told there are no visitors,” Alcorn says. “This is where the social worker is really essential to all involved.”

In my career as a nursing home administrator and now as a CEU provider, I have been blessed to interact with hundreds of social workers who are passionate about helping others and making a difference.  As I reflect on the qualities of those who chose this profession, written below are just a few that come to mind. Let’s all make a point this month especially to show our social workers that they are an ESSENTIAL part of our healthcare system and very much appreciated!

Sincere                                   Warm-hearted

Outgoing                                Optimistic

Courageous                           Resourceful

Intuitive                                 Knowledgeable

Advocate                                Empathetic

Loyal                                       Respectful