TEMPORARY GUARDIAN MEDICAL RELEASE
Hospitals and physicians have been successfully sued for assault and battery for
treating sick and injured children under the age of18 and unmarried without specific
permission from legal guardians. Because of that, parents must now prepare legal documents
for their babysitters or temporary guardians to use in urgent care visits. The following
is an example authorization form. It's always advisable to check with a lawyer, but the
elements of an informed consent exist here and should be honored by most medical
facilities.
Of course, if the situation is life threatening, the hospital would likely provide
needed treatment. But in non-urgent situations, the staff, by law, must await permission.
That permission must come from parents or legal guardians. It cannot come from brothers,
sisters or even grandparents.
Please instruct your baby-sitter or other family member who regularly cares for a minor
child to take the form with them to the Hospital Emergency Department should an emergency
arise.
