I've recently admitted my 90 year old mother, who has advancing Alzheimer's, a heart condition, and Type ll diabetes into in-home hospice care run through MediCARE.
I have total, full coverage POA as well as complete control over her health care and decisions through her Advanced Directive, and that includes a WAIVER to her HIPAA Rights.
That having been said, I went through the last bit of her admissions procedure today, after a representative had already come to the house the day before, to complete the process. Mind you that ALL of her information was given to them by me as mom's no longer able to communicate.
While completing the admissions, the rep kept trying to keep the information and additional notes away from me, preventing me from reading them.
I kept wondering WHAT it was they were trying to keep from me or hide! Thus, my question.... do I have the RIGHT to be able to read this information and their additional notes as they pertain to her admissions, or any other information as it pertains to her, for that matter? I would personally think so, but I'm hoping to receive a better, more legally sound answer to my query as opposed to my simply thinking I DO have the RIGHT.
As always, I appreciate any answers that I may receive and I thank you in advance for helping me out!!!
You sound paranoid.. maybe because bro dearest one called APS to have you investigated? My twisted sissies also had me investigated so I understand the complete lack of trust in anything or anybody.
If this is really bothering you, call them, tell them you are thinking about switching companies because of this. Maybe they would then tell you what it was.
Completely beside the point, but I once had a fire at my home. Insurance company would never let me see a single photo of the many that they had taken, calling them work products. Just a thought.
I found this article that may be of help
I work Monday through Thursday, 40 hours — on paper. When I come home at night, I start in on the homework. Each admission is two to three hours of paperwork. That’s the killer. I spend the night buried in paperwork.
https://nymag.com/thejob/2017/03/the-nurse-who-admits-patients-to-hospice-care.html
It may be that these are personal notes for intake to use when preparing a care plan. It makes sense to me that these sorts of notes would not be viewed by family in order to keep the opinions expressed unbiased by family input.
With that being said, I don’t think you have to stick with this company if you don’t trust them. I was told we could change our minds and discontinue or even change companies at any time.
I'm just trying to picture the scene. So she was sitting next to you, across a table from you, or what? And you were craning your neck trying to look at these documents, or what?
Did you ask to see them? By which I mean, did you say to her "may I read the notes and documentation, please?"
And if not, why not?
No, I did not ask to see them because, honestly, I felt rather intimidated by her.
Are you saying you want to see her actual hospice orders?
As stated below you have a right to view your and mom’s medical records as the POA but not in real time. You can request a copy of the medical records in writing after they are complete.
Why does this worry you so? You are placing your mother in an in house hospice unit. Why do you think the staff person is trying to hide anything from you?
Give her the benefit of the doubt. She could have seen other patients and maybe wrote notes on the same page.
I am not an attorney but a person’s medical records in the moment are the agency’s/hospital’s property, not yours. I managed a dialysis center for 13 years and it was drilled in my head that one is not to give anyone copies of internal documents without a formal request. Those admission papers belong to the company. You get a copy of forms you sign for your mother on admission.
You can request a copy of her medical records via a formal request after the event is over.
This is an interesting question.
If you don't like the nurse, well that's a different matter entirely and you may need to find a different hospice company altogether. I've had good experiences with Suncrest..........I don't know if that company is available where you live....?
Best of luck!
Maybe I'm just being paranoid (because I was once reported to Elder Abuse authorities, by my brother as it turns out), and it was a very upsetting ordeal but one that I was COMPLETELY exonerated of! BUT, that feeling has stayed with me now, for YEARS afterwards, so that's where THAT comes from.
Let me know what y'all think...
"I'd like you to come back over, at whatever day or time is convenient, so I can look at mom's intake paperwork, since I have POA, advance directive oversight, AND A HIPAA WAIVER. Thank you