(P15) Nursing Home Social Work During COVID-19: Lessons Learned

Introduction: Hindsight can be 20-20 and practicing during difficult times can inform professionals about lessons learned during crisis as well as routine efforts in long-term care. Nursing homes in the United States were the highest risk places for death caused by COVID-19 due in part to the physical vulnerability of residents, close quarters, staffing shortages, visiting restrictions, and health risks to workers. Skilled nursing facilities are required to have skilled and trained, licensed social work professionals to meet the psychosocial needs of residents, yet nursing homes are often not the top desired places to work due to a host of realities and now with potential negative images of overwhelm during disaster and pandemics leaving the industry and the long-term health care field challenged (Giri, Chenn, Romero-Rotendo, 2021; Grabowski & Mor, 2020; McGilton et al., 2020).

Case Description: The case report follows the timeline, key events, and memorable experiences from a public health social worker placed in a skilled nursing facility throughout the height and decline of the COVID Pandemic. Recommendations relate to social work wellbeing, risk management during the pandemic, and includes a first-person account of the daily work life to illuminate the complex and rigorous, psychologically demanding and still too-little recognized role of the nursing home social worker as a key agent for change, problem-solver, and essential care professional.

Discussion: The poster provides recommendations from the literature and practice organizations including the International Federation of Social Workers, the National Association of Social Work, and scholars in the field of psychosocial care in the nursing home (Kusmaul, Bern-Klug, Heston-Mullens, Roberts, & Galambos, 2020).

The poster will allow an interactive approach to discuss other cases, professional burden, observations, and policy recommendations for nursing homes and long-term care professionals as we continue to learn from the pandemic of 2020 and meet the ongoing needs of nursing home residents in the United States.