Follow
Share

Our parents still live at home and the care aide takes them to doctor's appointments as needed. Issue is they do not write the results down or tell family. They only care for each parent 8 hours a week. My parent's memory is bad. I am enduring POA and still do medical treatment on wounds etc the other hours of the week. Doctors surgery says well you should come with him & won't give information to me, POA? I work a job and can't get time off for this. What are my options?

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Lynne, what country are you in?
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

 Enduring Power of attorney seems to mean nothing. I will chase the send an email option. Sounds like a plan too.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

I do have enduring power of attorney (with present and future power) over all financial and medical etc issues. Signed by parents. The Doctors practice has a copy. I am getting a letter signed by my 89 & 90 year old parents to fix this. It should not have taken this much pushing the 2 power of attorneys, care for their parents needs.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

After getting confusing answers from my mother when she was ill I applied for FMLA at work so I could take a day off as needed for Mom’s appointments. We would start out and her Primary Care which fortunately was only up the street. Next a 45 ride and a visit with the Cardiologist, depending on the time of the appointment we had lunch either before or after that. Some days we were also visiting her Oncologist or Surgeon. We could usually reschedule new appointments around her Cardiologist as the others took into consideration I had an hour and a half drive to get to Mom. It made for a long day and we were both tired by the time it was over. On the way back to her house we stopped at the pharmacy and dropped off any new scripts. I’d get her back home and settled and then back to the pharmacy to get the new medications, then made adjustments in the pill boxes at home. If I was lucky we could get a Monday or Friday appointment and I could spend the weekend with her, get her bills and checkbook in order, set up two weeks of pills and do her grocery shopping. Her younger sister came and stayed M-F and together they got the housework and laundry done. We were able to keep her home right up until the last couple of weeks, she spent about a week in the hospital and then transferred to a SNF near her sister for the last ten days. The FMLA will protect your employment so you can assist your parents. You will need their Dr. to signs stating that you need to be at their appointments.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Your name should be listed as a contact person with your parents' doctor(s). That said, they can email you a copy of each doctor visit. I had to add my own name to my late mother's doctor contacts since I lived in another state. And yes, I  do understand that you're enduring POA. 
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

As most have suggested, most docs and medical centers have online services where you can few all lab results and the doc can send you info if you ask regarding visit. They also should be giving you a printout of the visit, what was discussed and what labs were ordered. Before all online access, I (CNA) was given authority by family members to sit in the dr. visits and also make dr. visit appointments for most of my clients. I took detailed notes of the visit. Clarified my notes with the doc before leaving. If your care giver is not a CNA and/or does not have the authority (given by you and also doctors know her responsibility) then you should go to the appointments. I agree with above comment about her (care giver) not knowing your loved one enough to be able to take on that responsibility.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Ray, good point.

With POA, I would use a lawyer. Your parents need to be present so the lawyer can ask them questions. Then they sign off and it is witnessed, in my situation, by the secretary. I would not trust anyone with a downloaded form. When I received my nephews at the age of 20, the lawyer spoke to him privately before he would allow my nephew to assign me. Later my nephew told me that the lawyer asked if he was being coearsed and did he trust me to handle his finances and make his medical decisions. A notary can not determine if someone is cognitive. They only make sure the person signing has provided proof they are who they say they r.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

It might be that the parent/patient refuses the aid entry during the appointment. My own parents refuse to have me in to even listen during doctors appointments. They won’t allow me to know what medication they are on. And needless to say, I am not POA, guardian or conservator. I don’t think they trust me. So I’ve just LET IT GO. Whatever will be will be.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

1. Go with.
2. Most doctors now are affiliated with an online service (like Iris) and you can find all information just by logging on. Call the doctor's office and find out how to do this.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

You also need a power of attorney for health care (at least in California) in addition to POA for legal stuff. Your parents are entitled to their medical records (and you as their Health Care POA) after their visits - request (in writing or by phone if they will cooperate) a copy of the records for their visits (ask for Doctors notes as well as stats). Some Drs. don't seem to realize family have jobs to go to that you cannot get time off for parents - you are providing caregiver and getting them there. Dr. should work with caregiver to keep you informed of all results of visits. Sadly you will probably have to play the bad guy - and insist on being informed of all results of visits in writing.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

Most Superior Court or Attorney General websites have fillable PDF forms for Durable POA, Durable Medical POA, I would recommend that you have a witness and a Notary sign. Some verbiage is ambiguous so both just stops future interpretation.

The patient portal is a great way to get accurate info.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

Most doctors now have a print out of results of visit. A POA can be drawn up yourself. Each state varies as far as a notary or just witnesses. Google free downloads, and their are online sites for a small fee will prepare one with the fill ins (names, addresses). Once you have the POA, you will be surprised at the dr. responses. You want to do this yesterday. Good luck.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

First she is saying Drs. Surgery which means she is in England or maybe Canada. HIPPA may be a US thing. But, if she does live in the US, the parents have to give HIPPA permission to the caretaker. The staff should be able to talk to you if your Medical POA is on file or parents sign a HIPPA form. I really don't see where this is automatically a caregivers responsibility.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

Many practices have patient portals where you can access notes, labs, test results, etc. My advice would be to set up an account for each of them and you’ll be able to review their medical records via the portal.
You can refill medications through the portal as well as ask their providers questions, etc. It may be a gray area as far as HIPPA but if you have their permission to set up the acct for them it may be ok.
Helpful Answer (10)
Report

What sort of POA do you have? It sounds as if you might be running into HIPPAA issues. But your parents can authorise the practice to share information with you - why not write a letter for them, get them to sign it and drop it in.

The aides should not be sharing confidential medical information with family members, again, without your parents' express consent. Shouldn't stop them writing down results, I agree... But quite honestly you'd do better to get those direct from the doctor anyway, for the sake of accuracy.
Helpful Answer (12)
Report

I think calling into the doctor appointments would be the best plan of action if you can't be there.
Helpful Answer (5)
Report

Lynne, it could be that the caregiver being there only 8 hours a week is just not familiar with any and all the ailments, plus does the caregiver go into the exam room with the parent? Do you think the caregiver is familiar with what is being said?

I remember taking my parents to the primary doctor, I usually got back to back appointments since I had to take time off, anyway. I would go into the exam room with both parents. Afterwards on the way home, my parents would sit in the back seat and discuss their doctor appointment. After listening to them, was I at the same appointment they were??? Both of them had things so mixed up. Oh dear.

Once my Dad had a regular daily caregiver, she was more than happy to drive Dad to his doctor. She would go into the exam room and introduce herself as the "caregiver". After getting Dad back home, she would call me to discuss the appointment.

It all depends on the caregiver and if she/he is comfortable with doctor appointments.
Helpful Answer (7)
Report

That should be part of the caregiver's job. Try calling her right after the doctor visit
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter