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Q A while back there was a question related to how much information an agency can share with family members about the care they were providing for the mother.
I would like a bit more information about that, because I really don’t understand what the big deal is. If we, as family members, aren’t told about things that are not going well for our parents, how will we know?
(From a daughter in De Forest)
A I really appreciate these kinds of questions, because I think there is a lot of confusion about the roles different entities play in regard to elder support.
I also acknowledge the variety of interpretations of “privacy matters” within the various supportive organizations. So let’s try and break this down and give you some rationale behind these actions.
Agency providing services
If you are referring to an agency providing supportive services to your parent such as meal preparation, they are bound by medical privacy practices, and they would need permission from your parent to share information with you.
They cannot assume that your relationship is supportive and that it is acceptable to share information freely.
Again, this is because your parent is in charge of who can know and what information can be divulged.
What that means is if you are listed as the emergency contact for your parent, you will be contacted in emergency situations, but it would be good to ask if they could provide regular updates about your parent’s progress and if other support needs to be put into place.
Senior apartment complexes
Another entity to think about is senior apartment complexes. It should be emphasized that these are independent living apartments.
The assumption is that when mom or dad move in they will be able to care for themselves as well as the apartment or be able to secure outside assistance for areas of need.
Apartment managers can, in some apartments be “gatekeepers,” meaning they can make observations about your parent and let you know if they seem to be experiencing some changes.
Remember different apartments may have different rules about these matters. The point is that these are independent apartments, so it would be a good idea to check with the manager at the apartment and learn how they address these issues.
Contracts
Many times we assume that because an organization provides a service for an older adult, they will automatically inform the family of any concerns.
That is not always true. Organizations enter into a contract with each person as an individual. It is up to each person what information can be shared and with whom it can be shared.
I agree this can be confusing and doesn’t always make sense, but hopefully this sheds a little light on the topic. Blessings.
Jean Mueller has been a registered nurse for over 30 years. Her experience includes working in home care settings, skilled nursing care, and training individuals to become certified nursing assistants. For the past 13 years, she has worked in the Aging Services department of the Diocese of Madison Catholic Charities.