The Health Care Power of Attorney enables you to designate someone, known as an “agent”, to make health care decisions on your behalf once your doctor decides you can no longer make these decisions independently. While a Durable Financial Power of Attorney grants a designated person, the legal authority to control your finances while you are incapacitated.
Your health care power of attorney is permitted to make medical decisions on your behalf. Under the durable financial power of attorney, your chosen representative can pay taxes and bills, manage investment accounts, and take over business and banking responsibilities on your behalf.
When choosing an agent, it’s important to select someone you trust to make decisions. We recommend you meet with your person of choice to discuss if they’re comfortable taking on this responsibility. Once they agree, it’s important to go over the form together and discuss your wishes for your medical care and financials.
For those incapacitated and without a health care power of attorney, a family member will be given permission to make the necessary decisions on pain management, life-sustaining treatments, and more. While a person without a financial power of attorney while incapacitated will have a guardian or conservator appointed by the state.
Preparing for the future will assure that you’re taken care of according to your wishes and will ease an already difficult situation for your loved ones. Unsure of what steps to take in setting up your power of attorney, contact us, we’re happy to walk through the process with you.
