Hospitalized patients cannot get power of attorney notarized at 2 AM because mobile notaries charge $300+ for emergency visits

When an elderly patient is hospitalized after hours and family members urgently need a power of attorney notarized so they can make medical or financial decisions, finding a notary willing to come to a hospital at 2 AM is nearly impossible in most markets. The few mobile notaries who offer 24/7 emergency service charge $200-$400 for after-hours hospital visits on top of per-signature fees, and response times can still be 3-4 hours. During that window, the patient's condition may deteriorate to the point where they can no longer demonstrate the mental competency required for a valid notarization, meaning the family loses the ability to execute the document entirely. Hospitals do not employ staff notaries because notarization is outside their care mandate, and remote online notarization often fails in hospital settings because patients lack access to a device, stable internet, or a government-issued ID at bedside.