Most parents do not have the legal documents to protect their grown children in an emergency

If your child is over 18 years old, they are an adult. If they are in an accident and you do not have the proper documentation in place, the hospital and doctors will not have the ability to share medical condition or records, and you will not to be able to direct their care.

Insurance will cover the costs of care, but being on your insurance does not give you any legal access to view their records or direct their care.

You should have forms filled out and signed in the state in which you live and also the state in which your child is studying.

A HIPAA waiver or release, short for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act waiver, is a legal document that allows an individual to authorize the release of their protected health information (PHI) to specific individuals or organizations, even without their consent. HIPAA is a stringent federal law in the United States designed to safeguard the privacy and security of a person's medical records and healthcare data. Typically, healthcare providers and facilities are prohibited from sharing PHI without the patient's explicit consent. However, a HIPAA waiver grants permission for this information to be disclosed to designated individuals or entities, such as family members or researchers, for a particular purpose, such as medical treatment, research, or legal proceedings. This waiver is a valuable tool for ensuring the appropriate and legal exchange of sensitive medical information when necessary, while still maintaining the patient's privacy rights.

A Medical Power of Attorney, also known as a healthcare proxy or healthcare power of attorney, is a legal document that allows an individual (the principal) to designate someone they trust (the agent or attorney-in-fact) to make medical decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so due to incapacitation or other circumstances. This document is a critical component of advance care planning, enabling individuals to ensure that their healthcare preferences and wishes are respected, even when they cannot communicate or make decisions for themselves. The appointed agent can consult with healthcare professionals, access medical records, and make decisions regarding treatment options, surgery, end-of-life care, and other healthcare matters based on the principles and guidance outlined in the document. A Medical Power of Attorney provides peace of mind that one's medical care will align with their values and preferences, and it is a crucial element in ensuring personalized and dignified healthcare decision-making.

A General Power of Attorney is a legal document that grants an individual, known as the principal, the authority to designate someone else, referred to as the agent or attorney-in-fact, to act on their behalf and make a wide range of financial and legal decisions. These decisions can include managing bank accounts, signing contracts, buying or selling property, handling investments, and dealing with government benefits, among other financial and legal matters. A General Power of Attorney is broad in scope and typically remains in effect as long as the principal is mentally competent, unless it specifies an expiration date or circumstances under which it terminates. It is a powerful tool for delegating decision-making authority but should be created with careful consideration, as it grants the agent significant control over the principal's affairs.

A Living Will, often referred to as an advance directive or healthcare directive, is a legal document that allows individuals to outline their preferences and instructions for medical treatment and end-of-life care in the event they become unable to communicate or make decisions for themselves due to illness, injury, or incapacity. This document typically specifies the types of medical interventions or treatments the individual wishes to receive or decline, such as life-sustaining measures like artificial respiration, tube feeding, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A Living Will aims to guide healthcare providers and family members in honoring the person's values and wishes regarding their medical care, ensuring that medical interventions align with their beliefs and desires for a dignified and compassionate approach to end-of-life decisions. It is a vital component of advance care planning and helps relieve the burden of decision-making for loved ones during emotionally challenging times.

When your child is 18 they are considered an adult and parents lose certain rights. If your child is 18 or older the forms should be in place as a safeguard. Ideally they should be reviewed every year, and your child can revise or revoke their consent at any time in writing.

Yes. Our services are created in response to a couple that lost their child. Their child was in college out of state and was involved in an accident. This was a sophisticated family, bit they did not have these proper documents in place. The hospital could not talk to the parents about their child. By the time they flew to their child, she had passed. We never want this story to happen again, which is why we are offering this service.