Home  Blog Health Care Agent Foibles
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Health Care Agent Foibles |
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Health care agents don't always understand their roles. There is a story of a woman diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder who was hospitalized and her health care agent was notified by the hospital but didn't understand why the doctor was calling him, claiming “What do I know?....he's the doctor!” How can family members, friends, etc. grasp what their role is? How can health care agents understand that they are acting as the designated "spokesman" for a person with mental illness?
Readers have left 5 comments.  1. Talk with your health care agent moreLuvCats, UnregisteredI happened to put my husband down as my health care agent, but I did talk to him A LOT about what my priorities are. I wrote a lot in my advance directive about what my values are, and added an addendum about all the problems I have had with meds and that I don't want meds that make me gain weight or make me unable to think, etc. I also put stuff in there about what kind of treatment is abusive for me. I ended up typing my advance directive so all that stuff would fit in the form. Hope this helps! 2. Re: Talk with your health care agent moreDavid, Unregistered I happened to put my husband down as my health care agent, but I did talk to him A LOT about what my priorities are. I wrote a lot in my advance directive about what my values are, and added an addendum about all the problems I have had with meds and that I don't want meds that make me gain weight or make me unable to think, etc. I also put stuff in there about what kind of treatment is abusive for me. I ended up typing my advance directive so all that stuff would fit in the form. Hope this helps! — LuvCats That is good advice I admit but will the medical establishment listen to your husband? I hope so but i'm still skeptical. 3. Bring the legal paperRick Z., Unregistered The health care agent should bring the legal paper to the doctor or fax it, then doctors will know this is seriously something they need to think about and to listen. 4. UntitledMary, Unregistered Choosing a health care agent should be done with care. Make sure you choose someone who you trust, who understands your wishes as much as possible, who will not try to substitute their own "best interest" opinions for what they know your wishes to be regarding treatment, etc. If you have someone in mind, you should also think about whether they will be comfortable advocating for your wishes regarding treatment. Also, it's helpful if the agent is knowledgeable about the laws/statutes in your state so they can better ensure your wishes are followed. If someone doesn't feel like they can follow-through on these things, for whatever reason, they're probably not the first choice for mental health agent, if at all. My first health care agent was another consumer who knew me very well, who was very savvy about these things, who was in recovery and able to be there for me, and who was able to develop a "working" relationship with my psychiatrist, so they were mutually able to protect my wishes and ensure that the hospital carried them out. 5. Health Carelora, Unregistered I believe This approach would result in a more affordable plan for small businesses and individuals,a plan focused on covering preventive services and only the most cost-effective treatments.... =============== shainy Addiction Recovery Illinois <a rel="nofollow" href"http://www.addictionrecovery.net/illinois"> Addiction Recovery Illinois</a> |
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