It is hard to believe that August is here and soon the kids will be headed back to school. Do you need our “Parent Sanity Kit”?
For those of you with teens going off to college, this might be the first time that your “baby” (or grandbaby) actually leaves the nest for a significant period of time. While you have likely taken time to prepare for this milestone—purchasing dorm room gear, first aid supplies, getting financial aid in order, etc. there is likely one critical preparation step that you missed.
Specifically, if your child is hurt or incapacitated while away at school, authorities may refuse to talk to you because of HIPAA laws. I have seen this happen many times, most recently in the case of a client whose daughter needed emergency surgery on her leg while away at college and she could not get involved in her child’s care until she was able to present a signed medical Power of Attorney and a HIPAA authorization form.
Thankfully we helped her get those documents in place awhile back and she was able to send them right over. But during times when critical decisions need to be made—and fast—the last person you want to be calling is an attorney! In fact, at that point it may even be too late.
The three documents you need to avoid this situation are an Advanced Healthcare Directive, Financial Power of Attorney and HIPAA authorization form. We call this our “Parent Sanity Kit”. We will offer it at special pricing until the end of September 2016. If you have a young adult at home, it’s well worth the investment for the peace of mind knowing you can get involved immediately if an emergency strikes.
Just call us at (310) 782-6322 and we can help you get started.
Even if you do not have teenagers at home, you likely know someone who does. Please forward this blog post. It could prevent MANY headaches and hassles down the road.