Healthcare Power of Attorney and the Informed Consent Agreement

The family planning process includes the involvement of a family member assigned healthcare power of attorney in preparation and ongoing decision making in the residential care of a mentally incapacitated client. Informed consent agreement signed by a resident and their family member at time of the tenant agreement places obliged an assisted living facility to proper and individually designated treatment plan where medical care and other activities where liability may arise.

How Informed Consent Protects Residents

Senior care providers, policy makers, aging advocates, and long-term care experts define informed consent practice according to HIPAA rules to treatment and care. The benefits of negotiation and risk assumption disclosure in an informed consent agreement at time of admission of a palliative care or assisted living resident are evidenced in the focus on resident autonomy and protection of providers from liability for any extenuating or occurring consequences of the relationship. Those benefits of protection cover provider immunity from issues related to lifestyle (i.e. smoking) in tenant agreements.

Enrolling a Family Member in an Assisted Living Facility

During the family planning process, family members assigned with healthcare power of attorney are given the option of enrolling their resident family member in special services such as memory care. When a resident who has Alzheimer’s or dementia is admitted to Beak Creek Assisted Living, memory care services are often part of the treatment plan.

Coinciding with medication administration, assisting residents to safely follow their prescribed program of prescription drug treatment, memory care has the ability to greatly enhance a resident’s long-term quality of life. Trenton Memory Care programs provide residents with enriching activities that stimulate cognitive recovery.

Family members are forewarned of risks associated with resident lifestyle choice, or other action not binding Trenton Assisted Living facilities to liability. This includes participation in Trenton Memory Care program as outlined in the informed consent agreement at time of admission.

Review the Informed Consent Agreement

In an effort to enhance resident election to live in an assisted living or independent living setting where medical services are provided, safety is a provider duty to a reasonable standard of care. In consortium with a family member who has power of attorney, residents are able to participate in their own health and wellness. Assisted Living residential facilities are committed to striking a reasonable balance between autonomy and safety. At our assisted living locations, residents are treated with the utmost attention and individual consideration. New tenants are given the opportunity to enroll in memory care services at time of tenant agreement.

The author Seth Dudlley is an expert with a senior assisted living facility for years. He takes care of senior living financial planning at the assisted living facility.