Health Care POA

[candg918]

What is the name of your state? OK

My mother is in poor health in a nursing home in my hometown. I have both her financial and health care POAs which I have used when she has gone to the hospital.

Is there some way that I could temporaily assign her health care POA to my son so that I could leave town for a week or two? Could I use something like is used to give temporary authorization for medical care for a child?

Thanks.

 

[ALawyer]

I don't think so, at least not unless the power SHE signed gave you power to delegate those decisions.

You could have your mother sign a new form that the facility may have that would name yor son and authorize him to act in your absence.

Further, if a crisis arises your son could be your eyes and ears and call you and let you know what he'd recommend, and then you'd be able to act under the power YOU have by phone.

 

[candg918]

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately, my mother is not competent to sign any document since she has dementia. The successor named in her current document is even less accessible than I would be traveling. There is no text in her health care POA that would let me designate an alternate for myself.

I am checking with her nursing home to see what their policies are. My biggest concern is what the hospital might require in the event she is taken there in an emergency - by ambulance; obviously, this has happened before. Everytime this has happened in the past, I have needed to complete admissions paperwork at the ER even though she is in their patient file with all correct information. They probably would let my son be with her.

It is time to check my own health care POA to see if it has a means to handle this situation. Thank you.