Palliative Social Work and Heart Failure

Abstract

Heart failure affects the lives of millions of Americans each year and results in significant physical and psychological stressors that can negatively impact quality of life. Palliative social workers possess unique skills that can benefit patients living with heart failure by supporting increased understanding of disease and its trajectory and enhancing communication with other clinicians, as well as maximizing quality of life. This chapter provides basic education and explores common interventions used to support this patient population. Key interventions include in-depth psychosocial assessment, facilitating goals of care conversations, and addressing patient-centered concerns commonly arising as patients navigate complex decision-making that sometimes accompany this disease.