Advocating for a relative in four Ohio nursing homes showed me there is a lot for the public to know and much for our legislators to do. One area of concern is that administrators can have titles that mislead the public as to the kind of care residents are receiving. An example is “social worker.” When making a complaint to the Counselor and Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, I found out the person wasn’t licensed nor registered with this board. There was no place to file a complaint. And because of this title, the person may have influence on doctor’s decisions. In another place, I found out it was common practice for licensed practical nurses to be called social workers without any education nor training in that regard. According to the C.S.W. M.F.T. Board, “Under 4757.41 (A) (11) individuals working in nursing homes are exempted from licensure and they can refer to themselves as social workers.” The residents and family members may consider their loved one is getting another perspective to their care or will have better counseling support if needed or better evaluations will be done due to the person’s training. In actuality, another nurse who supports the medical paradigm of medications for everything may be influencing care with no other perspective nor techniques presented.

All residents and staff benefit from educated and licensed social workers. Some aspects that help the residents is that a social worker can recognize abuse. They can talk with the resident who needs that dimension of emotional or cognitive care due to anxiety or fear of life changes. They will have been trained in techniques that redirect residents before going to medical restraints. They also can help those temporary residents who need overlapping services from other agencies for a successful transition. It is not easy to live in a nursing home with the noise, the staffing problems and changes, the typical problems of food and medications, not much privacy, etc., etc. The residents deserve support from other than staff whose priority has to be getting the medications out on time. I hope people will read this and consider other than just a medical structure for nursing homes.  A licensed social worker is needed in every nursing home.

Awareness and the right response are needed during these times of reduced staffs and lack of funding both for nursing homes and for agencies that have advocated for residents in the past. If you agree, please tell your legislators.

Brenda Asterino writes from Vancouver, Wash.