Description

We all know that a child legally becomes an adult when they reach age 18. However, many young adults are still living at home. They may rely heavily on their parents for financial and emotional support and guidance as they step out into the world. However, like any other adult, no other person has the right to make medical or financial decisions for an 18-year-old. It is critical that a new adult has authorized someone to handle their medical and financialdecisions in a crisis and guarantee their parents or other loved ones won’t be shut out of the medical conversation due to patient confidentiality. The Young Adult Package is available for people ages 18-25. It includes The Advance Directive for Health Care, the General Durable Power of Attorney, and the HIPAA Release. The Advance Directive is Oregon’s form of medical power of attorney. It allows an individual to name a medical decision maker in the event of an emergency. General Durable Power of Attorney allows a point person to handle financial and legal decisions on your behalf. This includes, but is not limited to, paying bills, filing taxes, handling insurance issues, dealing with school enrollment or handling student loans. Our General Durable Power of Attorney is a comprehensive document that covers a wide range of issues that could arise to make certain your point person has all the tools they need to assist you financially and legally, if needed. Finally, a HIPAA release authorizes certain people to speak directly to your doctors to understand your medical situation. It does not include decision- making authority, but only confirms that doctors will communicate with your loved ones.