Do you have the legal forms that you need for your children who are now adults (or about to be)?
We’re about to send Julia, our daughter, off to college in two weeks. At the same time, she will be turning 18 and be living out of state. I have heard too many stories of parents having problems getting medical information when it’s needed from out of state providers.
As you probably know the law says they don’t have to provide medical and other information once they turn 18. The best way to handle this is with the proper forms.
Being physically close to your child may help because you can get to her/him quickly. While being there in person may be helpful it’s no guarantee they will share anything or everything. For us, with Julia being 10 hours away, we feel it’s important to be prepared.
Although I’m not a lawyer I would recommend you do the same thing that we’re doing with Julia. She will be signing a HIPPA form, an advance directive (living will) and a power of attorney (for medical and financial). Hopefully these will help smooth the way during a medical emergency.
Some of the forms we are using I can easily share with you. They are publicly available. If you have questions call me and I’ll share more about what we’re doing.
You’re also welcome to bring your kids by if you need a notary for any of the forms they will be signing.
