Your healthcare is a very private and important matter. Wouldn’t you rather make your own medical decisions versus someone else doing it for you should you become incapable?
A living Will and healthcare power of attorney work well together. A living Will allows our clients to specify, before an illness occurs, how they want to be cared for if they become so ill or incapacitated that they’re unable to make decisions about their health. Such living Wills have long been advocated in some form by everyone from estate planners, lawyers and medical ethicists to groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association.
Healthcare Powers of Attorney are documents that allow our clients to name an agent to make healthcare-related decisions for them if they are unable to make those decisions for themselves. We help walk our clients through their options as there are many factors are relevant when choosing your agent:
- A healthcare proxy or agent must be 18 or older but does not have to be a relative or someone with medical knowledge.
- The best agents can be clear headed during times of stress and are comfortable talking to doctors.
- They should be assertive enough to ask the right questions
- They must be unwavering in their commitment to you even if their beliefs are different from yours.
The failure to have such documents in place can result in the need for wrenching family decisions on whether to withdraw life support or battles over long-term care arrangements. Living Wills and Healthcare Powers of Attorney are limited in scope and it’s important that you have all your questions and concerns answered before executing such directives. Attorney Wendi has years of experience with both Living Wills and Health Care Powers of Attorney. She can help you through the process of preparing these important, sensitive documents.