Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
June is coming to an end and we are wrapping up our topic of Estate Planning for the month. If you have been following our posts, then you know we have talked about some very important topics this month including a Written Will, a Living Will and a Power of Attorney for Finances. The last topic I want to cover is a Power of Attorney for Health Care.
A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care allows you to designate someone to act on your behalf in regards to your healthcare when you are unable to. The word durable in there simply means that you intend for the document to still be effective even if you become disabled or incapacitated. Without that word, if you became disabled or incapacitated, you would have to go through the expense of having a court-appointed guardian.
This person will be your advocate and communicate with healthcare professionals on your behalf so they should be chosen with great care. They will have the ability to decide:
- Which hospital treats you
- What doctor or doctors are your attending physicians
- Whether or not you will have a particular surgery
- What particular drugs you will or will not take
When deciding who you will trust in making these decision, it is important for you to answer a few questions.
- Does this person really know what I want?
- Will this person respect my wishes?
- Does this person benefit financially at my death?
- Is this person emotionally capable of making life-and-death decisions?
At this point, you probably have someone in mind that you would trust to speak for you if you were unable to do so for yourself. Make it official and get a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.
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Need more information on end of life planning? Check out ForeTalk – a complete and simplified guide to prepare for one of every family’s most difficult times written and taught by Stan Craig HERE.
In Episode 13 of the Monday Money Tip Podcast, Stan goes into more detail on the different documents needed for Estate Planning. Check it out HERE. While you’re here, make sure to subscribe and leave us a rating to let us know what you think!