My husband signed me as his medical power of attorney when we realized his short term memory is bad. I have given copies to all doctors. My problem? The nurse at his primary care physican will NOT allow me to be with him! She asks questions he simply doesn't remember the correct answer to. We live in a small town, the doctor is great. But the nurse is being REALLY rude to me! I've spoken to the doctor and nothing has changed. When I held my parent's power of attorney, they wouldn't take vitials without me, much less ask what meds are you on. This nurse is really getting to me, she's inturupted the doctor while seeing my husband, offered to write prescriptions for him, and slammed doors in my face. She actually told the doctor he didn't have time to biopsy my husband. The doctor did it any way and found cancer!
Welcome to the forum. It seems to me that your doctor has a runaway nurse that is totally out of control. Throughout the years, I have encountered a couple. If the nurse ignores your medicAL power of attorney and does not listen to the doctor, I am really not sure what to do. Perhaps try to have as much directly dealing with the doctor if possible.
Please stay in touch with us, and hope that someone in the forum has some words of wisdom.
Is your husband's medical PoA in his file? I gave a copy of my SIL'S MPoA to a doctor's office recently only to find that it had not been scanned into the file. I had a go-around with the office mgr about the repercussions of the document not being in SIL's file. (SIL signed a Medicare form FORTY MIN before a procedure. I was ill that day and Hubby was w/his sis.) A visit with the office manager regarding how you are treated might be all you need to do.
If a visit with the office mgr does not work, I suggest you send a letter to the doctor -- return receipt requested w/his signature, not staff's. State the problem you are having with the nurse and be prepared to follow through with finding another doctor if the situation (nurse's attitude) is not resolved on your next visit. I am sure this nurse would not prevent a parent from being present at a child's office visit.
I look forward to the nurses who are online posting to this comment.
Colette xoxoxo
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Family Caregivers are not paid because they are worthless; Family Caregivers are PRICELESS! (paraphrased & source unknown)
Edited: Wednesday July 21, 2010 at 7:43 PM by colette
I have legal guardianship of David and I have encountered many problems dealing with medical people. We have gone to court and David has been declared mentally incompetant by a judge, thus, I was appointed legal guardian. I have to file 2 reports at the end of every year to the county courthouse. The reports are about what I have done with his money and what medical decisions I have made for him. I can be arrested if I do anything stupid with his care! Most of the time the medical people still insist on asking him questions and having him sign something. They don't seem to get it because he can ACT normal for short intervals. They would have to deal with my lawyer if anything ever happens and they didn't run it by me first!
I asked the caseworker at the hospital if I should ask for POA and she said I didn't need to since legal guardianship holds more power in a court of law [because the judge looked at his records and talked to him and declared him incompetant to make any of his own decisions.]
Monday July 19, 2010 2:01 PM
