Considering the list of problems from question 15, use the following questions to discuss how Alice might organize and prioritize her work.

Question

Alice Singletary, a novice social worker with Magnolia Hospice in Alexandria, Louisiana, met June Plunket, who had terminal cancer, and her daughter, Polly, for an admission interview. June was in quite a bit of pain and trying to cope with dying. Polly blamed Dr. Dubuis and herself for her mother’s approaching death, and was also angry with her brother, who had distanced himself from the family. June and Polly lived in a chaotic and overcrowded household with Polly’s daughter, Jenna, and Jenna’s two young children. While assessing June’s situation, Alice identified a multitude of family problems which had to be balanced with the mission of the hospice. In this situation, Alice was not sure where to begin.

Answer 1

a. Are there items that need immediate attention to avoid danger or pain?
Pain management is an important part of hospice care. Alice can check to be sure that the aides and nurses from the hospice would be providing basic care to maintain physical comfort and pain management for June. This may free Polly to tend to her own mental and physical needs.
A possible danger is the issue of Polly force-feeding June. Alice will need to address this by educating Polly and perhaps contracting with her around feeding practices. Pollyís non-verbal behaviors indicate she feels shame and knows she should not be force-feeding. There may be other areas which Polly may not know how to handle (toileting, getting out of bed, etc.) The medical professionals on the team can help educate Polly and help Alice to reinforce the importance of proper care.