There is hardly an element of life that has not gone untouched or completely upended by COVID-19.  With ubiquitous “shelter in place” orders and worldwide “social distancing,” finding notaries public and other witnesses for the signing of legal documents in California has become challenging for many folks and nearly impossible for long term care facility residents.  The burdens for these residents include:

• National, state, county, and city orders essentially prohibiting on-site visitors for nursing home and assisted living facility residents;
• Law that bars health care providers from acting as witnesses of Advance Health Care Directives (AHCDs); 
• Fellow residents who cannot serve as witnesses because of varying degrees of infirmity and cognitive impairment;
• Law requiring AHCDs be witnessed by a long term care Ombudsman at a time when Ombudsmen are not able to go into facilities.

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