I am medical DPOA for my mother and she has dementia. She see's several physician's and I even though her signed official DPOA form is uploaded and I carry it with us, front desk people don't pass on information or give me access to her information. Luckily, most have the EMR charts I have access to, but I'm constantly floored at the lack of education for this form. My mother can't make decisions, but she will have a wonderful conversation with you she just doesn't retain it.
Last general physician's visit the woman at the front desk told me if my mother didn't consent verbally in front of her I could not go in with her to see her physician due to precautions. My mother pleasantly confused said no and that she had to use the bathroom. When the nurse came to get her I held up my forms and she took them just to tell me later they were in the system already. Then didn't update me and I found out through the EMR they changed her medication and she had no clue.
Unbelievable, but it sounds like that social worker confused HIPAA authorization (where patients could authorize several people simultaneously with whom their information could be shared) and decision-making authority. Crazy. Hopefully your road will be smoother going forward.
Unbelievable, but it sounds like that social worker confused HIPAA authorization (where patients could authorize several people simultaneously with whom their information could be shared) and decision-making authority. Crazy. Hopefully your road will be smoother going forward.
Thank you, It's much easier now. I cut my cousin completely out of everything. She tried to do the same thing with my father when he died. She told the hospital that he was in that she would be calling the shots with my fathers care as my brother was "slow", which he is not. I made sure that my Medical POA was up there in 15 minutes, and told her to but out. I left 2 hours after finding out my Dad was in ICU. He died from COVID 2 days later.
JKL33
7,038 Posts
@beachynurse sorry you had to deal with that.
Unbelievable, but it sounds like that social worker confused HIPAA authorization (where patients could authorize several people simultaneously with whom their information could be shared) and decision-making authority. Crazy. Hopefully your road will be smoother going forward.