A CAREGIVER’S BILL OF RIGHTS DOWNLOADS

NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL CAREGIVERS MONTH.

A CAREGIVER’S BILL OF RIGHTS

Caregiving is a tough job. This November, we remember the people who lovingly give baths, clean houses, shop for, and comfort the millions of elderly and ill people who are family, friends, and loved ones.

            If you’ve ever looked after an older or disabled loved one, or even an adult child with special needs, you know how difficult it can be to “keep all the balls in the air,” doctors’ appointments, daily tasks like dressing, feeding, and bathing, and managing finances.

            If you currently look after an older or sick loved one, make sure to have the following legal documents created before a crisis occurs:

• Power of Attorney- This will allow you to legally manage your loved one’s financial affairs, communicate with financial institutions, and apply for any benefits needed when your loved one can no longer do so.
• Healthcare Directive- This document gives the appointed agent the right to communicate with doctors and make all necessary medical decisions if the patient cannot speak for him or herself.
• HIPAA form- You’ll want to have a HIPAA form signed in advance by your loved one to ensure that you can access any medical records you may need and overcome any other privacy hurdles you encounter.

These documents are easy to create and something that all caregivers should have on file so that they can quickly and legally step in to help their loved one in an emergency

            During this month and all other days and months, we honor that a Bill of Rights was established in 1986, and there have been many renditions since.

Below are three Caregiver's Bills of Rights we found. You can download them and print them here:

Option 1: 

Option 2:

Option 3: