03/18/2026
The Maple Crest Correspondence-March 2026- The Significance of Social Work in Long Term Care
March is social worker appreciation month and Maple Crest Campus is thrilled to give a shout out to our own Emily Schmidt. Emily is usually the first person you come in contact with when reaching out to find care for your loved ones and your go to person when it comes to guidance along the way as you maneuver your loved oneโs long-term care stay. Whether it be assessments and care planning, advocating, counseling, discharge planning or a shoulder to lean on-we sat down with Emily to learn more about how her role can help you and your loved ones.
๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐ช๐จ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐?
I am Emily Schmidt; I grew up in southwest Wisconsin and went to college at Upper Iowa where I met my husband and just never left. My husband and I have 2 daughters, Ila and Harper.
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ฎ ๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ง๐ค๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐พ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ?
One of the most meaningful parts of my role is being able to support residents and families in this chapter of life, helping ensure that it is filled with dignity, compassion, and peace.
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐พ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ช๐ก ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ฉ?
Maple Crestโs success stems from being a truly independent, standalone community. Because we arenโt part of a large corporation, weโre able to make decisions that are tailored specifically to our residents, our staff, and our community. This flexibility means less red tape and more responsivenessโallowing us to focus on what truly matters: providing personalized, meaningful care.
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ/๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ?
Itโs important for families to understand their financial situation and know where their assets are. Having open and honest conversations about end-of-life wishes early on can make future decisions much easier. Families should also discuss nursing home or assisted-living options ahead of time, so theyโre prepared when the time comes. Additionally, learning about the true costs of long-term care is essential, especially knowing that Medicare does not cover long-term nursing home stays for those planning to reside permanently.
๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐พ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐จ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ?
We have access to EMR (electronic medical records) for local hospitals and clinics so we are able to get medical records without needing to wait for a fax or emails. We work closely with Iowa Health and Human Services to ensure that there are no gaps in funding for our residents that receive Medicaid funding. We have a great checks and balances process to ensure no one falls through the cracks and to make the transition as smooth as possible.
If you have someone or are someone needing care, we encourage you to reach out to learn more about how we can help answer any questions you may have. Emily is also available at our monthly Pearls of Hope meeting where she, along with Angelique Lueder, will be available to help you learn and guide you through the different aspects of planning for this stage of life.
You can also reach her directly by calling Maple Crest Campus at 563.425.3336 or her direct email, mcmsocial@maplecrestmanor.com.
