Is it against HIPAA to ask my mother's doctor if her condition allows her to do certain activities? Or if they are aware of certain conditions she has?

My mother has a heart condition (forgot what it is called) and she has always been quite a physically weak woman, since childhood. She also has some physical discomfort that I keep telling her to bring up with a doctor or visit a doctor for but she won't listen (back and shoulder pain). She's nearing 60.

I want to accompany her to her doctor visits or ask her for that info so I can help her but she won't allow me. For reference, we are Chinese and it's a thing in our culture to just lie and not talk about medical info like that so as to not worry family. Here's a film for reference) if you want to see how it's like. I keep telling her to make a physical therapy appointment but she's too stubborn. "It's a waste of money!" even though I will pay for it. "It's too far" and it's only a 10 minute drive. Stuff like that. She's been to acupuncture and cupping but I don't believe in that traditional chinese medicine stuff and clearly it hasn't worked.

I want to call her doctors she has had for a decade plus who are familiar with me and my name (I'm in some of her forms) to ask if she is able to do basic stretching and weightlifting (I'm talking like 2.5 or 5lb dumbbells, very basic and light) and if her condition would allow for it, and I can help her with it. And to push her to do physical therapy as well and keep her accountable with the exercises her therapist would give her. I'm moving away from living with them soon so I won't be able to help with lifting, and overall I want her to be more physically fit so she can be less dependent on me and my dad and so I can move away without having to worry about that stuff. She gets winded going up 2 flights of stairs, can can't even lift 10lb or so, and yeah her back and shoulder discomfort.

So I want to ask two things to her doctors:

1. With my mother's current condition, is she physically capable of basic weightlifting, stretching, and cardio that I help oversee?

2. Has my mother mentioned her back and shoulder discomfort? Can you help persuade my mother to visit a physical therapist for that?

Do these questions violate HIPAA?

https://ift.tt/JVBtR9s Submitted April 28, 2025 at 03:17AM by csmajor039 https://ift.tt/KoZmtNf