Many of the calls we take come from a son or daughter, not the patient. A parent has moved to Palm Beach County, or has lived here for years, and the family wants one doctor who knows the whole picture. This guide covers the practical side: who can talk to whom, what paperwork helps, and how to share the work of staying informed without taking over.

None of this replaces advice from an attorney or a tax professional. It is a starting point for the conversation your family will have anyway.

Start with what your parent wants

An adult parent is still the patient, even when a child is doing the driving and the scheduling. The most useful first step is a quiet conversation about how much your parent wants you involved. Some people want a child in every visit. Others want help with logistics and nothing more.

Write down the answer, and revisit it once a year. Preferences change after a hospital stay, a new diagnosis or the loss of a spouse, and it is easier to plan before a crisis than during one.

What HIPAA allows a doctor to share with family

Families often assume privacy law shuts them out. It is more flexible than that. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a provider may share information with a family member involved in a patient’s care when the patient agrees or does not object, and may use professional judgment when the patient is not present or cannot respond. The same guidance notes that providers are not required to share with family unless that person is the patient’s personal representative.

In practice, a written permission on file removes guesswork. At Legacy Medical, with your parent’s written permission, Dr. Shtern can update the family members your parent names. That one form saves a lot of phone tag later.

Your parent also has a federal right to see and get copies of their own records, which HHS describes on its right of access page. That right is often the easiest way to gather old records from doctors up north.

Naming a health care surrogate in Florida

A HIPAA permission covers information. Decisions are a separate matter. Florida law lets an adult designate a health care surrogate in writing to make health care decisions, receive health information, or both. Under section 765.202 of the Florida Statutes, the document must be signed in front of two adult witnesses, the surrogate cannot be one of them, and at least one witness must be neither the spouse nor a blood relative. The same section allows an alternate surrogate to be named.

If no surrogate has been named and a patient cannot make decisions, section 765.401 sets out an order of people who may act as a proxy, starting with a court-appointed guardian and then a spouse, then adult children. When several adult children are involved, the statute calls for a majority of those reasonably available. Many families find it simpler to name one person in advance.

Bring a copy of any surrogate designation or advance directive to the office so it is part of the chart. An elder law attorney can help with the documents themselves.

Coordinating care when family lives far away

Distance is common here. A parent may winter in Palm Beach Gardens while one child lives in New York and another in Chicago. A few habits keep everyone on the same page:

  • One point person. Pick the family member who will receive updates and pass them along, so the office is not relaying the same news three times.
  • One medication list. Keep a current list of every prescription, over-the-counter product and supplement, with doses as written on the bottle, and update it after any change.
  • One folder. Store the surrogate form, insurance cards, recent test results and specialist names together, on paper or in a shared file.
  • A shared calendar. Put appointments where the people who help with rides and reminders can see them.

Many follow-ups can happen by video, which lets an adult child join from another state. Our telehealth page explains how that works for members.

Visiting the doctor together

A second set of ears helps. Before a visit, agree on the two or three questions that matter most and write them down. During the visit, let your parent speak first, then add what you have noticed at home: changes in appetite, sleep, balance, mood or memory. Afterward, compare notes while it is fresh.

If you have noticed changes in thinking or memory, our article on memory changes and when to see a doctor lists the signs the National Institute on Aging suggests raising. The for families page describes how Legacy Medical works with adult children and spouses.

Concierge membership does not change your parent’s insurance. At Legacy Medical, Medicare and other insurance are billed for visits, labs and tests, and members are seen the same or next business day, with phone access to the practice around the clock.

A good first step

If you are weighing whether a smaller practice suits your parent, the first visit is a complimentary meet and greet with Dr. Shtern at our Palm Beach Gardens office. Family members are welcome to come along and ask their own questions.

This article is general information, not advice for your situation. Members can call the office with questions about their own care.