The most common confusion
Trusted companion or emergency contact?
Many people mix them up. Hospitals ask for both at admission. Yet these are two radically different statuses, with rights and roles that have nothing in common.
Legal status · Art. L1111-6 Public Health Code
Trusted Companion
Status created by law, Claeys-Leonetti Act of 2 February 2016, enshrined in the French Public Health Code
Can accompany you at any medical consultation and hospitalisation, this is a legal right
Designated by a signed written document, revocable at any time
Remains your trusted companion for the whole course of your care, including across multiple hospitalisations, unless you decide otherwise
Can be a loved one, a friend, or an independent professional like Florian.
Simple administrative contact
Emergency Contact
No legal status, simply a contact to reach in case of emergency or hospitalisation
No right of accompaniment at medical consultations, they can be kept away
Recorded on a simple administrative form at admission to a healthcare facility
Must be provided again at every admission, with no formal continuity
Often confused at hospital admission. Always check which status you are filling in.
Also read
How to designate a trusted companion: the step-by-step guide.
Emergency hospitalisation of an elderly relative: what to do?
A question about these two roles?
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