Acute
Care, Long Term Care and End of Life Planning in Ecuador
Five
Documents:
1. A
will (depending on complexity of estate)
2. Power
of Attorney (POA)
3. Declaration
for remains; register of death by blood relative
4. Five
wishes form describes instructions for survivors, burial, etc.
5. Patient
data form
The Ecuadoran system assumes that the patient comes
from a large family and has many nearby blood relatives. A blood relative is required for registration
of death. A blood relative does not includes the spouse. A Health Care POA might serve this purpose. Declaration for Remains may be included in
your POA.
Hospital nurses may resemble aids in their training
and practice. They usually do not have
access to patient records, prescriptions or current treatments. They may visit the patient every hour or two. Therefore it is necessary to have a friend in
the patient’s room to monitor health.
Two POAs are preferred since they may be called upon at any moment to
request patient care or obtain information.
The POA document must be in Spanish (with English copies). Three originals of each are necessary to
cover patient and two trusted friends to manage care.
The
patient data form should include the following information:
1. Name
and Cedula number
2. Street
Address with directions
3. Phone
numbers
4. Primary
care physician with phone number
5. Specialist
with phone number
6. Blood
Type
7. Current
prescriptions; any allergies to meds
8. Medical
history: Current and past
9. Family
medical history if related to patient’s condition
10. POA #1 and POA #2 Name, Phone number and Address
If an ambulance is needed quickly, call a taxi. The ambulance provider will slow things
dramatically requiring much medical information on the phone and upon
arrival. If immediate life-saving
procedures are essential, you may want to call the ambulance and provide the
patient data form.
Death Registry may require a doctor certificate (death
certificate), certificate or cremation or burial, declaration for remains, original
Cedula and POA.
As usual, verify all information with your attorney. Laws and practice are constantly changing.
