Patient + Family Services

Copley understands that your comfort and emotional well-being are key to your healing process.

We have dedicated medical social workers trained to help patients and family members deal with any financial, social and emotional problems that may relate to an illness or hospitalization.
Our staff will work with you, your family and your physician to evaluate your individual needs and provide resources to help deal with long-term illnesses and rehabilitation.

Help with Financial Concerns

If you feel that you may have difficulty meeting your medical expenses, we can work with you to identify sources of financial assistance. We are familiar with eligibility requirements for Medicare and Medicaid coverage and other assistance programs and are able to help you with these guidelines.

Learn more about Copley’s Assistance Programs.

Help with Discharge Planning

Copley Hospital staff wants to help you make your transition home as smooth as possible. Patient and Family Services will work with you and your physician to evaluate your individual needs to plan for any services you may require once you are discharged. This might include inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient physical therapy, special medical equipment, Meals on Wheels, home health nursing, and more. We will help arrange these and other services to assist in your transition home.

Help with Extended Care

Finding a suitable nursing home, rehabilitation facility, community care home, or apartment can be challenging. Our staff is familiar with the complexities of proper placement, having helped many people like you in similar situations. We will help you find an appropriate care environment for your individual needs after you leave Copley.

Help with Community Referrals

Worrying about your illness (or that of a family member) can result in frustration, depression, and anxiety. Talking with someone about your worries can help relieve the emotional burden. Our staff can put you in touch with support people or groups in the area to help you deal with these concerns.

Help with Advance Directives

Copley Hospital wants to make sure that your medical wishes are carried out in the event you are unable to advocate for yourself.

If you are 18 years or older and mentally competent, you have the right to make decisions about your medical treatment at Copley Hospital.

An Advance Directive is a document that contains specific instructions that guide your health care providers and inform them of your treatment preferences in the event you lose the ability to communicate them yourself. Advance Directives used to be called Living Wills or Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care.

While you are a patient at Copley, our Patient and Family Services staff can offer you information about Advance Directives, and if you wish, can help you complete a document that becomes part of your medical record.

More information about Advance Directives are available from the Vermont Ethics Network.

See our Downloadable Resources box for downloadable the Advance Directive forms.