If my uncle dies, will they notify family first or the POA?
The health facility in which your uncle is being treated should maintain a list of people to be contacted in case he is transferred or dies. Contact the administrators there and ask to be put on it.
On the offchance that the administrators there balk at your request—some may insist they maintain only one “Person of Interest” as a contact, some hesitate to become involved in family feuds, some are just plain lazy—then contact the local ombudsman, an impartial type of mediator assigned to most facilities, who may intervene or find a way to help. You should be able to find the proper ombudsman though the National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform at www.nccnhr.org/ombudsman.
Are you and your sister able to visit your uncle? If so, that would help demonstrate to workers at the facility—and more importantly, to your uncle, that you are concerned about his care.
It is not clear why you would want to contact your uncle’s lawyer—or why you would need to hire a lawyer to call your uncle’s lawyer. Try resolving your problems through the health center.
