Parents, check one last thing off the list for your college-bound kid!
Will you be able to help your 18-year-old in an emergency? Let’s say that your son, an 18-year-old freshman at a college on the opposite end of the country, is unconscious in the hospital following an accident. If he has signed a Healthcare Proxy naming you as his “healthcare agent,” you will have the ability to view his medical records and make informed medical decisions on his behalf.
Here are the legal documents we recommend that you have prepared for your college-bound kids and notes about how they can be of benefit in a moment of crisis:
- Healthcare Proxy
- Make health care decisions if your child is incapacitated.
- Make choices about who provides your child’s care.
- Avoid court-appointed guardians.
- Control end-of-life treatment decisions.
- Durable Power of Attorney Documents
- Manage bank & investment accounts.
- Deal with credit cards & creditors.
- Interact with landlords & insurance companies.
- Carry out financial tasks for a child who is traveling or deployed.
- Manage student loans & financial aid.
- HIPAA Release Authorization
- Designed to cover all health care providers.
- Allow health care providers to share medical information.
©Surprenant & Beneski, P.C. 35 Arnold Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, 336 South Street, Hyannis MA 02601 and 45 Bristol Drive, Easton MA 02375. This article is for illustration purposes only. This handout does not constitute legal advice. There is no attorney/client relationship created with Surprenant & Beneski, P.C. by this article. DO NOT make decisions based upon information in this handout. Every family is unique and legal advice can only be given after an individual consultation with an elder law attorney. Any decisions made without proper legal advice may cause significant legal and financial problems.