NEXT OF KIN FAMILY HOSPITAL RIGHTS

GOVERNMENT LAWS THAT EFFECT HOSPITAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND LEGAL RIGHTS OF NEXT OF KIN AND RELATIVES. THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN AFFRONTED BY SPOUSES AND RELATIVES REGARDING THE LACK OF INFORMATION OF THEIR RIGHTS WHEN VISITING A LOVED ONE IN HOSPITAL. Hospital policies governing health care accountability and patient's and relative's rights set health care standards and make recommendations to the Legislature for improvements to the laws and policies related to health care setting and health care standards. These laws should include the following: • The right for the patient's family to receive information about an adult patient's progress, • The right to suggest choices that promote good health for a loved one . • The right to suggest measures that prevent illness and accident . • The right to be given information from Doctors in a private meeting. • The right NOT to be put on any visiting schedule by the spouse. • The right to make complaints, raise concerns and recommend changes without fear of interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal. • The right to suggest in a manner that recognizes and responds to individual needs and preferences. • The right to participate in any assessment of personal care requirements and in the development of plans for care of relative. • The right to be informed of the laws, rules, policies and procedures directly affecting the relatives of the patient in ALL HOSPITALS. • The patient's family be given the right to order and receive the results of the autopsy. All of the above are designed to recognize and respond to the patient's individual needs and preferences with or without the existence of a Power of Attorney for Personal Care. Many of you have experienced a similar and sad situation. EXAMPLE An adult was injured and admitted to ICU. Today's government laws state that the spouse has legal rights as next of kin for the patient's treatment and patient's information and does not have to inform the patient's family of anything. In this case, the spouse had decided right away to arrange funeral arrangements, organ donations and cremation. The patient's family was not informed of this. Each day the patient made a little progress. The patient's family could only visit once a week and on one visit, found their loved one disconnected from life support, food and liquids. The patient's stomach was notably growling. The patient's family was not informed of this decision. The patient's spouse had the patient's family banned from visiting. The spouse had no legal right to do this or tell the nursing staff who could and could not visit and was informed by Patient Relations and Social Services to this affect. The nursing staff took their direction from the spouse and had the family banned. There is nothing in Hospital Policies and Procedures allowing the nursing staff to do this according to the ICU Floor Manager. The patient's family was always respectful of the spouse and followed the Hospital Policies and Procedures as they knew them. A LAW NEEDS TO BE INTRODUCED AND/OR AMENDED TO GUARANTEE RELATIVES OF A LOVED ONE THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION, PROGRESS, CARE AND PROGNOSIS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE RIGHT TO VISIT THE PATIENT WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION FROM A SPOUSE OR RELATIVE.