Unit 5

The first think I would do is introduce myself as the healthcare administrator. The second thing I would do is persuade all involved to go into another room so they are not upsetting the rest of my residents. Individuals who are memory-impaired can get upset or worse quite easily and for some it is very difficult to calm them down.

I can empathize with the out of town family members, however, I am unable to give them any information if they are not listed on the HIPAA authorization form. In order for the family members to get any type of information, they will need to talk to the individual who is authorized as the Power of Attorney. We cannot break HIPAA and I am not willing to let our facility get fined for breaking the law. Although the visiting family member (we will call her Martha) claims she is a supervisor for the Department of Health and Human Services, it does not mean she is. Even if Martha is a supervisor, by her threatening to have my facility surveyed because I did not do what she demanded, shows me what type of a person she is. I would continue to refuse providing any information, make sure my staff knows that Martha is not authorized to receive any information, and contact the Power of Attorney. Finally, I would call the Department of Health and Human Services and file a complaint against Martha and her threats.

When I worked in a nursing home, we had to make sure that we did not give out any information to a family member that was not on the authorization form. If we did, we not only got a verbal talking to, we also got written up.

References

Dye, F., C. (2010). Leadership in Healthcare: Essential Values and Skills, Second Edition, 2nd

Edition. [Kaplan]. Retrieved from  https://kaplan.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781567933550/

Guttmacher Institute. (2017). An Overview of Minors’ Consent Law | Guttmacher Institute.

Retrieved from

https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/overview-minors-consent-law