Exploring the Lived Experiences of Rural Hospice Social Workers in Navigating "Cracked" Systems

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Healthcare Disparities
• End-of-Life Care

Background:

• Social workers in hospice address health disparities and caregiver challenges.
• Limited research exists on end-of-life disparities from the social worker perspective, especially in rural settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of rural hospice social workers.
• To understand their role in navigating systemic barriers and resource disparities.

Main Methods:

• Phenomenological study utilizing in-depth, unstructured qualitative interviews.
• 19 rural hospice social workers participated in the study.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: systemic issues in hospice, resource/geographic barriers, interprofessional collaboration dynamics, and work environment challenges.
• Identified barriers impact social work interventions and quality of life for dying individuals.

Conclusions:

• Recommendations include elevating social workers' voices, assessing resource barriers, educating administrators, and implementing policy for caregiver resource access.
• Addressing these findings can enhance hospice social work practice and policy.