Personne de confiance : cas pratiques

The French law of March 4, 2002 created the legal framework for the person of confidence, but the practical aspects of how such persons are designated have taken time to develop in healthcare institutions. The cases described here illustrate the importance of an information campaign for the general public. Everyone has the right to be informed about the possibility of designing a person of confidence, and, as the law makes no distinction, everyone is everyone. In practice however, the healthcare staff discusses the issue with selected populations (major acute care, knowledge of family conflicts) and not with others (short term care, minor illness). With experience, healthcare personnel will become more familiar with the process and will be less apprehensive about the questions raised by patients.