Power of Attorney - health Care

A power of attorney for healthcare decision making is a principal tool that grants someone the authority to make curative decisions for you if you are incapacitated and unable to make those decisions.

Most states have forms that can in fact be filled-out. Many states, like California, want that the power of attorney be signed by you and two witnesses, or signed by you before a notary public.

Health Care

In this document, you have the opening to give many instructions, including whether you wish to be buried or cremated, whether you want to donate body parts for explore or education, and whether you want heroic measures to be made to keep you alive - even though your curative doctors have considered that you have no brain performance and will never recover.

Unpleasant decisions, but this document relieves your loved ones from the emotional burden of having to make those decisions by themselves. When named as your agent (a trusted house member or friend) under the power of attorney, their task is to naturally carry out your written instructions.

Of course, it is impossible to write out instructions for every type of curative decision that may come to be necessary. No one has a crystal ball to anticipate what options will be given by your doctors to address every type of disease or injury that may need to be addressed in the future. Therefore, many powers of attorney will give instructions that decisions are to be made in accordance with what your agent believes you would have wanted and, if unknown, then such decisions should be made in your best interests.

It is very leading that you talk with your agent and acquaint them that you wish to name them as the someone who will have authority to make curative decisions if you are incapacitated. It would be quite unnerving if they first learned of this by receiving a phone call at two in the morning from a hospital, and were being asked to make a curative decision regarding you. A copy of your power of attorney should be given to your selected agent.

It is also leading that your doctors, and hospital (if you have a file or chart there) also receive a copy of your healthcare power of attorney. Without a copy, they are unable to taste your agent for instruction regarding your curative care.

It is not all the time principal to have an attorney prepare the power of attorney for you. Many forms are relatively self-explanatory. However, an elder law attorney can be helpful by explaining the law, asking leading questions regarding your wishes, and making sure that the document is properly executed. Remember: an improperly ready document is useless and defeats your potential to make healthcare decisions in advance.

A properly ready power of attorney for healthcare decision making is a principal tool to ensure that your curative wishes are carried out if you come to be incapacitated, and relieves your loved ones from having to make those difficult choices if the need arises.

Power of Attorney - health Care