Social workers are available at St. Anthony Regional Hospital to answer your questions about discharge planning, connect you to appropriate community resources, and ease the process of staying in the hospital.
Social workers are available in many areas of St. Anthony. That means you can access the many tools they have at their disposal whether you've been planning on a surgery for months or you ended up in the emergency room because of an injury, illness or crisis.
- Hospital Patient Floor: 712-794-5815 or 712-794-5813
- Dialysis Unit: 712-794-5195
- Mental Health Unit: 712-794-5627
- Nursing Home: 712-794-5395
- Home Health and Hospice: 712-794-5392
- St. Anthony Regional Cancer Center: 712-794-5970
St. Anthony Social Workers can make your stay easier from the time you enter to the time you depart.
1. Help with discharge and your post-hospital plans.
So you're told you're stable for discharge from the hospital — now what? You may have questions about your follow-up appointments or taking medication. You may even be anxious to leave, since you won't have the same team of medical professionals caring for you every hour of the day.
Social workers can equip you to manage your recovery and feel confident in your next steps. They can:
- Connect you with community resources to provide you with home health services, nursing, Lifeline, or home delivered meals.
- Provide psychosocial education to help you or your family about a wide range of issues.
- Assist with coordinating transportation back home or to your next place of care
Social workers are experts at getting you to the comfort of your own home as quickly and safely as possible.
2. Coordinate where you’re going after you leave the hospital.
Remember — your providers are not expecting you to suddenly take care of yourself if you're not able to, and you may need to go somewhere where trained professionals can help you recover.
At discharge, social workers can help with placement in a facility that specializes in post-acute care if needed. This may be recommended by your physician to continue the treatment that began at the hospital which will keep you healthy and avoid a trip back to the hospital. Some of the options include:
- Skilled nursing facilities, for short- or long-term rehabilitation
- Acute rehabilitation hospitals, for intensive physical, occupational and speech therapies
- Assisted living homes, for those patients who may need continued assistance with their activities of daily living
- Drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, for inpatient detox or other levels of care
Your social worker, along with utilization review, will determine your insurance coverage and in-network providers.
3. Provide you with the medical equipment you need to recover.
Recovery isn't easy, and you may need some equipment to help you move around and be able to maintain your independence in your home. Whether you've been planning for your hospital stay or not, you may require some medical equipment you weren't prepared to track down.
Social workers can help you get the necessary resources you need in coordination with wound care and therapy recommendations such as:
- Walkers, wheelchairs, canes, or crutches, commodes, shower chairs, toilet seat risers, bed rails, and adaptive equipment.
St. Anthony Regional Hospital has many of these devices on-site, and a social worker can get them to you as soon as you need them. If you need something ordered, they can facilitate that.
4. Follow up on your recovery while you're at home.
Social work doesn't end when you leave the hospital; case managers are often assigned by your insurance.
Your transition from the hospital to home can be stressful, but this is a critical time to stay healthy and avoid returning to the hospital. Social workers can continue to be a resource to help you during this transitional period and reduce your chances of readmission.
If you've recently been discharged from St. Anthony Regional Hospital, a social worker may call you to follow up on:
- Homecare, such as how often your homecare is visiting or you have the support you need.
5. Connect you with other resources in the hospital and in the community.
Social workers play many roles in the hospital community, so they know many of the resources available to you. There are many services in the community that you can take advantage of, and your social worker can connect you with the ones you need, including:
- Mental health and substance abuse services
- Office of Aging programs
- Private duty home health aide information
Beyond the walls of the hospital, social workers take an active role in the communities surrounding Carroll County. From post-hospital care to volunteer organizations, your social worker can point you in the right direction for your needs, including:
- Nursing homes
- Charitable healthcare organizations
6. Provide comfort.
Being in the hospital can bring up many emotions for you and your family. Whether you're there for a simple procedure or a more serious condition, it can sometimes be overwhelming and scary. Social workers are there for you during this time, and they can:
- Answer your questions about your care
- Ensure you understand what your medical care team is doing
- Provide comfort for your family and answer any questions they may have
- Get in touch with your loved ones to keep them up to date
- Contact the St. Anthony Chaplain who can also help to connect you to your priest, minister, or pastor
- Provide psychosocial education to patients and family caregivers about coping skills, hospice and palliative care philosophy, and nonpharmacological symptom management strategies
- Facilitate advance care planning and lifespan planning
- Facilitate psychoeducational support groups
Their goal is your comfort and understanding as you and your family navigate this challenging time.
Social Workers: Your One-Stop for Assistance at St. Anthony Regional Hospital
If you find yourself at the hospital for yourself or someone you care about and a social worker enters the room, take a moment to think about what you need. Do you have questions, but you're not sure who to ask? Are you concerned about what happens next? Are you overwhelmed by discharge planning?
St. Anthony Regional Hospital social workers are there to help you, advocate for you, and make your hospital stay easier. In the hospital, you should be focusing on getting healthy — let a social worker help you take care of the rest.