August 24, 2021

Is your new college student headed off to campus this fall? If so, don’t neglect an important part of the prep process: a power of attorney. While you’re loading up on under-the-bed storage bins and notebooks for them, make sure they’ve got a place to keep important paperwork like a power of attorney. Without it, you’re not able to make any decisions for them or get access to their medical records.

Why does this matter? After all, you’re sending your child off to college to begin their life as an adult. Especially with the worldwide pandemic also a factor, but a variety of other medical issues that could pop up, there’s a chance you might need to help your college student and get access to their records.

It’s these kinds of situations that no parent wants to think about, but could become important in the event of an accident or sudden illness. If your child is unable to speak for themselves or simply needs help coordinating their care, a healthcare power of attorney naming you as their agent will make this challenging situation a little easier.

The power of attorney document should state which person or parent has decision-making ability or healthcare access in the event of an emergency. To use a power of attorney, bring the document with you to the hospital or office where it’s needed. It will usually get reviewed by the hospital’s legal department. It can also be smart to have this on file with your child’s healthcare provider at the university, too, so that they’re already advised that this is part of the medical records.

If your child doesn’t have a power of attorney document but you need to create one, we can help you get the process started so that all your bases are covered this upcoming semester.