Kids Going Away This Summer? How To Make Sure Someone Can Intervene Medically On Their Behalf

Every year, my children spent a few weeks without me at their grandparent's house in Mississippi when they were younger

. It was a nice family tradition and something my kids looked forward to each and every summer.

Perhaps your children have a similar tradition where they stay with close friends or family during the summer months.

Or maybe your children's "home away from home" during the summer is an intense sports camp, a fun summer camp or missions program.

Whatever the situation may be, parents must understand the importance of naming someone to make medical decisions on their child's behalf should they become seriously ill or injured while away from home.

In the case of my children, I ALWAYS provided their grandparents with a Designation of Healthcare Agent for Children form, which gives them permission to make immediate and life saving medical decisions in my absence.

Without such documentation, important life-saving procedures or interventions that I would no doubt want for my children may get put on hold until someone can reach me by phone for approval.

But as we all know, every second in an emergency counts, and that is why it is extremely important that someone you trust has permission to call the shots medically if your kids are hurt while traveling without you.

Another important thing I do for my children and the children of my estate planning clients is to create a "minors matter card" though Docubank which holds the child's shot records, allergies and all known medical conditions. This helps emergency personnel make the right decisions in a situation where there is very little time (and sometimes no ability) to get the child's prior medical history.

However, if a Docubank card is not an option, at the very least I recommend writing on a sheet of paper your child's insurance information, all known allergies and at least 3 phone numbers of friends and family to contact in case of an emergency.

Of course there other steps you can take to protect your child while away from home, but essentially, the more comprehensive you can make your child's legal "travel kit", the more likely your child will get the appropriate care he or she needs while away from home.

Yet timing is of the essence in making sure your children are protected before they go away this summer. Good planning ideally requires you to meet with a lawyer 3-4 weeks prior to your child's departure date for best results.

by: Kimberly Hegwood

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