Keeping the Promise: Benevolent Fund Social Services
Keeping the Promise Resident No. 1, I have been a Panorama resident since 2013 and live alone. I have no family to rely on when I might need extra help. Our Social Services Advisors are a great support and resource here at Panorama. I have sought their help many times for a variety of needs. When I decided to get my end of life arrangements in order, I met with an advisor to point the way for me. I was given information, the necessary documents and guidance as I went through the process. She made it so easy for me. Copies of my instructions are on file with my advisor, which reassures me my wishes will be carried out. During our meetings, I learned that having a guardian would be important for me also. With her guidance, I now have a guardian to assist me with medical appointments and act as Power of Attorney and advocate. It gives me peace of mind to have these important pieces of my life in order! I am so grateful for all the help I received from “my personal advocate” from Social Services. I will be having a medical procedure as soon as the COVID-19 protections allow, and it has been such a worry for me trying to figure out what my circumstances will be following surgery. Will I go to the C&R? Will I be able to recuperate at home? Consulting with my advisor, we discussed different plans depending on the outcome of the surgery. Knowing the options and what to expect has made me feel so much better about the surgery and recovery. I couldn’t do without our social services advisors! I feel like somebody is there for me. That somebody cares.
Keeping the Promise: Resident No. 2– Knowing that the Independent Living Social Services plays a key role in helping Panorama residents to manage stressful and difficult situations, I consulted with one of the social workers before my husband, was scheduled for major surgery in Seattle. She answered all my questions and gave me a lot of information on what to expect at the hospital. The Panorama social worker prepared me so well that when the hospital social worker worked with me to set up my husband’s recovery plan, she did not have to explain either the medical jargon or the consequences of each of my decisions. I was able to respond to her questions quickly and with confidence. After the consultation, the hospital social worker offered me a job. She said that she wished all of her clients were as prepared as I was. Upon returning home, I shared this experience with Panorama’s social worker, thanked her for all of her superior help, and told her that her job was safe, as I had declined respectfully the hospital social worker’s kind job offer. “I feel like somebody is there for me. That somebody cares.”
Keeping the Promise: Resident No. 3-Ten years ago I decided to move to Panorama. One of the deciding factors was the presence of on-site social services. I had personal experience working with social services in another state to aid in care of my ailing mother and it was extremely frustrating and made my heart hurt. I know families of residents are very thankful for a place to go to get expert and reliable assistance in very difficult times. I personally used our social services department a couple of years ago following knee replacement surgery. They seamlessly handled my transfer from the hospital to the C&R for rehab treatment. While recovering from one knee surgery, I hurt the other knee, making walking at times almost impossible. After visiting a couple of specialty clinics for assistance and receiving no satisfaction from them, I turned to social services for assistance. They were able to facilitate my re-admission to the C&R. I am so grateful that I had a place to go for help. Thank you.
Keeping the Promise: Resident No. 4 “The three Social Service Advisors are a godsend. People don’t know the many roles they play.”