PROFILE #10 | YOUNG ADULT GOING AWAY TO COLLEGE
This client had recently turned 18 years old and was preparing to leave to north Florida to attend college. The client’s parents had read about horror stories of young adults going away to school without having a designated health care surrogate, HIPPA releases, or power of attorney in place. No family wants to face a legal guardianship case when faced with a medical emergency just to be able to make health care decisions for a relative.
I advised the client of the purposes of these legal documents and the benefits of having trusted back-ups in life, and that these documents are living documents that can grow and change as their life develops. Ultimately the client identified a trusted family member that they wished to serve as their designated health care surrogate and power of attorney. The client executed a HIPPA release in favor of that person and their parents.
The client’s parents were grateful to have peace of mind when sending their young adult child off to school 300 miles away, and everyone hoped they will never need to use the documents.
