How can I make my Mom's POA health provide a summary of Dr. visits?

Tell your brother that unless he is forthcoming in all aspects of mom's health, you will be dropping her off at his house a week from Saturday.

You're in a tough situation, providing care and living with your mother yet being restricted from access to medical information. Is your mother's dementia too severe for her to understand what a HIPAA authorization is? If not, you could contact her doctors and ask to either download or pick up a HIPAA form, have your mother sign it and return it to the doctors' offices.

Since the caregiver knew the meds had changed, I'm wondering if she has any more insight into the visits. Does your brother share any information with her?

I'm assuming that your brother provides no care at all?

I think this is really an unsettling situation because there could be times when you need to have access to medical information. I'm not sure if your brother's refusal to share information might be considered a breach of his responsibilities as health care proxy, but I'm inclined to think he could be endangering your mother's health.

What are the caregiver's responsibilities, and does she need to have access to medical information as well to carry out her duties?

I honestly don't have any good advice though, other than to try to get guardianship, but that's expensive, and I'm not sure it would really solve the problem. Asking APS to intervene is another possibility, but you likely would have to convince them that his withholding of medical information is endangering your mother's welfare (which I think it is.)

One thing to try is to research your local area's law schools and senior centers to determine if they provide limited free legal advice. You probably wouldn't get detailed answers but might get some guidance on whether there are legal methods you could pursue.

Are there any other family members involved?

I hope others have some experience or suggestions as I'd like to know more about how to handle such a difficult situation.

I was going to say, call him the next time she needs urgent care, but I like Maggie's suggestion better.

Are you being paid for your services? If your mom requires 24/7supervision, you should be.

Are there simmering sibling rivalries between you two? You need to settle them, perhaps with the help of a therapist or mediator, for Mom's sake.

Who is mom's regular POA? If that's you, you can show the docs the POA and get whatever information you want. If someone ELSE in the family is the POA, ask them to execute the HIPPA form authorizing the doc to keep you in the loop.

Five, a POA is obliged to keep all information confidential. I'm going to guess Mom does not want any information shared, or she would tell you herself. The patient does not want to worry you, nor does she want you to obsess or pester her with questions. Please respect her privacy.

Thanks for the quick responses. My mother is unable to make her own decisions and that's been confirmed in writing by her doctors. I have other siblings but they are not involved on a regular basis on her care. This brother has had financial hardships and will not disclose where he lives after losing his home to foreclosure. He had planned to move in with my mom and I countered his plans by moving in before he could act. I hold title on the house and pay the mortgage. Thus the rivalry between us - note that he is the eldest male in the family. He shares financial POA with another older sister but I thought that her POA rights could not authorize HIPAA to me. I wonder if she can? He and she do not see eye to eye. Interesting item to follow up on. I had considered calling APS but I am hesitant to do so because of negative consequences. Thanks again for the insight.

Are your sister and brother co-proxies, or is he primary and she's secondary?