The service learning experience was more than I really expected. Melinda Harris is the person that I chose to follow for these past five weeks. Harris has been a social worker for Amedysis for the past six years and she holds a BSW. Harris was genuinely supportive in the teaching the proper techniques of the profession of a social worker.
The learning experience was very educational and also opened my eyes on what a social worker does in a home health based profession. There was many programs that Harris is able to help a patient or family member to get into. Meals on Wheels, Choices and Life Alert is just a few that I got to witness. Harris is able to help set up transportation to and from a medical facility, to assist the patient with insurance
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Harris warned me of what kind of problems that was going on at the patient’s home before we arrived. The APS (Adult Protective Services) was called on the last patient due to the conditions the patient was living in. Harris only had three days to make a visit to the patient to actually see what is going on. Then, after the APS goes out to evaluate the situation, Harris had to go back to the patient and see what kind of help she can offer to the patient and the family. The patient that we visited was in a bad situation to where the patient was not being feed nor bathed properly. The home was in such a disarray and was bug infested and seriously in need of a good cleaning. The conditions of the home were awful, but the family was willing to get things back in order to properly take care of the patient. Harris was able to set the family up with the Choices program to where they could come out and clean the home, fix the patient food, give the patient a bath and will be able to better monitor the situation in the best interest of the patient. Being able to actually help the patient and the family was amazing to witness. The patient was extremely grateful that she did not end up having to go to a nursing home, even though at first, I figured that would be the best place for the