| Course | MSW 532 Social Work with the Aging and Their Families |
|---|---|
| Week | 4 |
| Paper type | Surrogate decision-maker memo |
| Length | About 400 words, 4 pages |
| Format | Memo with APA 7 citations |
| School | Chamberlain University |
| Program | Master of Social Work (MSW) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MSW 532 Week 4
Memorandum
To: E.'s family (D., S. and M.)
From: Agency social worker
Date: October 20, 2026
Re: Who can decide what for E. right now, and what each authority waits on
The Documents on File
E. signed two documents in 2018, when E.'s capacity was not in question: a health care power of attorney naming D. as agent and S. as alternate, and a durable financial power of attorney naming S. as agent and D. as alternate. Both were drafted by E.'s attorney. They are separate grants: the health care document gives no authority over money, and the financial document gives none over medical care (Uniform Law Commission, 2006).
Decisions, One per Line
1. Consenting to the cataract surgery the eye doctor has proposed: D., under the health care power, once E.'s physician documents that E. cannot make this decision.
2. Choosing where E. lives, including a move to assisted living: E., as long as E. can express a consistent preference; D. can support the decision, and the health care power may cover it only if E. is found unable to decide.
3. Paying an aide agency from E.'s account: S., under the financial power, now, since that document took effect when signed.
4. Selling the house: S., under the financial power, only for E.'s benefit; given that D. lives there, the attorney should be consulted first.
5. Ending the storage unit rental: S.
6. Telling E.'s brother about the diagnosis: E., or no one. No document authorizes sharing medical information with relatives who are not agents.
What Each Authority Waits On
The health care power is springing: it takes effect only when E.'s physician certifies in writing that E. cannot make a particular decision. No certification exists. Until it does, D. can help E. decide but cannot decide for E.
The Alternate Nobody Called
S. is the alternate health care agent and has not been told the eye surgery is being considered. If D. cannot act, S. would have to, without background.
The Lightest Route That Works
Guardianship is not needed. E. has valid documents, and E. can still take part in many decisions with support. Guardianship law in many states now asks courts to consider less restrictive options first, such as existing powers of attorney and supported decision-making (Uniform Law Commission, 2017).
Who Is Acting Right Now
S., on finances. E., with D.'s help, on everything else.
References
Uniform Law Commission. (2006). Uniform Power of Attorney Act. National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
Uniform Law Commission. (2017). Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act. National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
Reading the MSW 532 Week 4 instructions
The surrogate memo is short and built around decisions rather than relatives. List each pending decision on its own line, such as consenting to a procedure, choosing where the person lives, paying bills, selling a house or sharing information, and say who can make it now and on what authority. Treat health and money as separate grants, since one agent rarely holds both. Explain what each authority waits on, such as a physician's certification for a springing power. Note any alternate agent who has not been told. Prefer the lightest route that works, using existing documents and supported decisions before guardianship. Close with who is acting right now. Write it so the family can read it at the kitchen table.
Inside the MSW 532 Week 4 example
The documents section describes two 2018 powers of attorney with different agents and alternates and explains, citing Uniform Law Commission (2006), that each covers only its own domain. Six decisions follow, from cataract surgery consent through living arrangements, paying an aide agency, selling the house, ending a storage rental and telling a brother about the diagnosis, each with who decides and when. The waiting section explains that the health care power springs only on a physician's written certification. The alternate section notes that S. has not been told of the surgery. The route section rejects guardianship, citing Uniform Law Commission (2017), and the close names who is acting today.
MSW 532 Week 4 rubric: what full points look like
A memo organized as a list of relatives, arguing who should be in charge, loses most of the credit. Faculty look for decisions on separate lines, each with its authority. Treating health and money as separate grants is essential. Credit goes to explaining what each authority waits on, flagging uninformed alternates and choosing the least restrictive route. A clear statement of who is acting now gives the family something usable. Legal descriptions should be accurate in general terms and avoid giving legal advice beyond the worker's role; referring to an attorney where needed is appropriate. Sources need APA entries. Each decision line should be readable on its own, without the rest of the memo.
Common MSW 532 Week 4 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Memos most often lose points by debating which sibling deserves authority. Another common error is assuming the health care agent can manage money or the financial agent can consent to surgery. Some memos skip what a springing document needs before it takes effect. Others jump to guardianship when valid documents exist. If your family cannot find paperwork, the memo still lists decisions and says who may act under state default rules, and what would need to happen next. A memo built this way for your family will let them see, line by line, who can sign what this week. Put the date beside every document you cite.
Get a MSW-532 Week 4 example written to your instructions
Paste in the memo instructions with the rubric and whatever your section's case says about the paperwork in hand, and a custom example is written against those requirements and returned inside 24 to 48 hours. The first one is free, laid out in the table your instructor issued rather than in a general one built here.
More MSW 532 papers and MSW samples
- MSW 532 Week 1: Who the Client Is Post
- MSW 532 Week 2: Genogram Read by Work
- MSW 532 Week 3: Daughter Caregiver Burden Assessment
- MSW 532 Week 5: Family Conflict Case Study
- MSW 532 Week 6: Placement Decision Paper
- MSW 532 Week 7: Elder Mistreatment Write-up
- MSW 532 Week 8: Family Systems Reflection
- MSW 533 Week 4: Hospice Benefit Brief
- MSW 531 Week 4: Elderspeak Ageism Analysis
- MSW 535 Week 4: Overdose Response Brief
- MSW 529 Week 4: County Service Gap Map
MSW 532 Week 4 questions, answered
The family cannot find any paperwork. Is there still a memo?
Yes, and the search becomes part of it: who was asked, which offices were called, what turned up and on what date. The rows then say which decisions can still be made and by whom under general arrangements, hedged, since what a state provides for a person with nobody appointed differs and the memo should say so rather than assert one version.
One document names a daughter for health and a son for money. Which governs?
Neither, and that is the answer this memo is built to give. The list splits instead: consent to a procedure sits with her, closing an account sits with him, and choosing where he lives may sit with neither, depending on what each document actually says. Writing a winner into the memo is the commonest way it forfeits its ethics points.
Does the memo recommend who ought to decide?
It says who may. Recommending is a different document, and a memo arguing that the son would handle things better has stepped outside what the paperwork supports. Where the authorized person is unreachable, or is acting past what the instrument permits, the memo says that plainly and names what would have to happen next without choosing a replacement.
Where can I find a free MSW 532 Week 4 sample paper?
The full MSW 532 Week 4 surrogate decision-maker memo for an older parent's family sits below in full, with side notes where the two grants divide.
What does the health care power wait on in the MSW 532 Week 4 sample?
A physician's written certification that E. cannot make the particular decision, since the document is springing; until then the daughter can help E. decide but not decide for E.