The White House issued a memo. In it was this:
“Yet every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides — whether in a sudden medical emergency or a prolonged hospital stay. Often, a widow or widower with no children is denied the support and comfort of a good friend. Members of religious orders are sometimes unable to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions on their behalf. Also uniquely affected are gay and lesbian Americans who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives — unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated.”
Each May the Human Rights Campaign releases the Health Equality Index — I am guessing they are ‘hitting palm against head’ and working on a supplement now.
Joan and I were quoted four years ago (2006) for the the the 2007 report:
Examiner reporter Kelvin Lynch helps sort out the new policy –
Power of attorney and healthcare proxies will be honored, regardless of sexual orientation, which also applies to unmarried heterosexual couples. Take special notice of the stipulations in the order – legal documentation is still required for non-immediate family members to visit or make healthcare decisions on behalf of their partners. That means everyone should have an advance directive, power of attorney, and healthcare proxy carried with them at all times on a USB drive or CD. If you show up at the hospital without these documents, you can still be denied visitation rights. The importance of this cannot be understated. Hospitals may still prohibit visitation with out this.
Look at this helpful legal kit from LambaLegal or This Family Tool Kit from HRC
We have our documents on file at all the hospitals in our city, however, my project this month to celebrate the new national policy is to scan them all and put them on flash drives so that we both have a copy everywhere we may be.
If you were unable to speak for yourself, do you have the papers that will speak for you? In what way does this new policy effect you were you are?
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