It is getting next to impossible to get my mom (who is 96 yrs.) out of bed, etc. to go to the dr. anymore, so I would prefer to just go to the dr. office myself and get the results since I DO have a medical POA.
Seems to me the dr. IS aware of the situation here as it was the dr. that sent an order to the nurse -on- call agency to have their nurse come to the house to take mom's blood in the first place. I didn't ask for that.
What is my legal position here? Cadams
Can your mother sign a letter requesting a copy of her lab results be mailed to her? They are hers and she is entitled to them. They may not be easy for her to interpret, though.
If I were you I'd make an appointment for Mom to be seen by the doctor and I'd accompany her. I do understand that it can be very difficult to get a bed-bound person to an appointment, though. Does she use a wheelchair? Would a medical transport van make things possible? Ask the assistant how best to bring Mom in.
After that appointment I'd evaluate if it makes sense to stick with this doctor.
The awesome geriatrician who cared for my mother and my husband was very conscious of the difficulty of bringing impaired elders to the clinic and she was super about doing many things over the phone -- we got lots of her attention without her being able to bill for it!
My mom isn't bed bound, but she sleeps a lot. It is very difficult to get her out of bed, dressed and anywhere for an appointment. I always have to allow twice as much time as I think I need because of the variables. She uses a wheel chair when we get out.
However, this is the way we have always done her doctor's appointments. I take her in a week early for nothing but a blood draw and urinalysis. She fasts for that and we eat breakfast at IHOP before going home. Then the following week we have the actual check up and go over the lab results. I make that appointment for the afternoon so that I have all morning to get her going. It's a pain, but it's only every 6 months. And I get to go over with the doctor the medicines and any changes and questions that I have. They give me a copy of the lab report for my records. I don't know how I'll do it if she becomes bed bound. I guess I'll have to have more help then.
Remember when doctor's made house calls? Sometimes I wish Dr. Welby was real.
cadams
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