Tuesday, April 1, 2008

What Form Does An Elderly Parent Need to Fill Out to Give an Adult Child Access to Health Information

What Form Does An Elderly Parent Need to Fill Out to Give an Adult Child Access to Health Information?
Is there a form that an elderly parent can sign to give permission for an adult child to (1) talk to doctors and/or nurses about the parent's health records, etc. and (2) make decisions for the parent if the parent's health becomes very frail? I'm not sure if a "Health Care Power of Attorney" does this. Your help is appreciated.
Law & Ethics - 2 Answers
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1 :
Yes, the Power of Attorney does just that.
2 :
A Durable Health Care Power of Attorney would be the place to start. Additional forms may be necessary, depending on your particular state laws. You will need at least three notarized originals - one for you, one for your parent, and one for your parent's doctor. If it were me, I would give a fourth notarized original to a trusted relative who doesn't live with either you or your parent. Before the time arrives that you would have to use it, make sure that you and your parent (going there together) give one of the originals to your parent's doctor, that your parent states their wishes (the ones in your question), and you confirm with the doctor that they now have all they need to grant those wishes IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. You need your parent to be there when the form is given to the doctor so the doctor has no doubt that your parent was of sound mind when they signed the form. The main reason for giving an original to a trusted relative is that if you take your parent to the hospital, this relative could bring their original to the hospital if needed. You wouldn't have to leave the hospital to go get it. There's also a chance (especially if your parent lives with you) that both of your originals could be lost or destroyed, and this provides for a backup original. Good luck!

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