Printable Grandparent Medical Consent Form – Everyone should be able to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare. Medical treatments can be quite risky, therefore patients should be able to decide from the facts about risks as well as their own personal preferences, how they will be treated. In order to ensure that medical professionals can administer treatments to patients, they must receive what is known as informed consent.
Informed consent is a legal requirement in which patients are provided with detailed information about his or her physical state and the recommended treatment by the acting physician. Once this information is received, the patient must provide the physician with consent to treat prior to any form of care is delivered. Without the patient’s informed consent the health professional cannot provide treatment.
Decision Making Capacity
In some instances patients don’t have the ability to comprehend their options regarding treatment, and the risks/benefits associated with each. In other circumstances, patients may not be able explain their decisions to health care professionals. When this occurs the patient is considered not to possess the proper decision making capacity. A family member or court appointed representative could then be able to provide informed consent instead.
Patients who are greatly influenced by their emotions, like anxiety or fear, for example can be deemed to not having the capacity to make decisions. The ones who are asleep clearly cannot take decisions on their own. Therefore, outside parties need to consent to treatment instead.
Items in an Printable Grandparent Medical Consent Form
There are certain elements that are commonly included in informed consent forms:
The patient’s medical condition/diagnosis
The recommended treatment is suggested by the doctor in charge
The risks and benefits associated with this treatment
There are alternative treatments available, along with their benefits and risks
The risks and benefits associated with accepting no treatment at all
The items should not only be documented, but they must also communicated with the person receiving the treatment. So, he will be able to comprehend the details of the situation and get straight answers to any concerns that might have arisen.