02 Jul Who’s Got the Power (of Attorney)? Part 2 – Phoenix, AZ
In a recent blog post, we discussed the importance of naming a financial durable power of attorney to act on your behalf in the decision-making process. That person is given legal authority to carry out any financial directives in your stead, should you become incapacitated and unable to make decisions for yourself. In today’s post, we’d like to round out the discussion by highlighting the durable power of attorney for health care. We’re Phelps LaClair, with offices in Phoenix, Chandler, and Mesa, AZ. And when it comes to planning estates and helping you prepare for the future, we’ve got more than 40 years of experience to offer families all over the Phoenix Valley.
Prepare for the Unexpected
We all expect to live a healthy, vibrant life well into our old age. Even so, we should still prepare for the unanticipated, and that includes setting into place the legal paperwork that puts someone in charge in case we become incapacitated and no longer able to make decisions for ourselves. By creating durable powers of attorney, we can clearly delineate our wishes and spare our loved ones a lot of confusion and chaos in the middle of a difficult emotional experience.
The Role of a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
As we mentioned in the previous blog post, your durable financial power of attorney (or agent) and durable power of attorney for health care (agent) could be two separate persons, or these roles could be fulfilled by the same individual. What’s essential is to name persons for the roles who are above reproach: capable, faithful, loyal person(s) who will follow the wishes you’ve established. Usually, that person(s) is a family member or a close friend.
Your Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, or agent, will decide medical treatment options if you’re unable to make those decisions. When naming your Power of Attorney (POA) for Health Care, you can designate whether they will be allowed to make all the medical decisions on your behalf, or whether they’re given authority to make only decisions pertaining to certain treatments. You decide and create the instructions that your Durable POA for Health Care will follow.
Your Durable POA for Health Care is the person who makes sure that healthcare professionals follow your desires. Medical personnel must follow your agent’s decisions as if they were your own decisions. And if your medical condition changes, it’s your Durable POA for Health Care who will determine how to best follow your wishes, and they’ll give those directives to the doctors and hospitals who are caring for you.
Failure to Plan is a Plan to Fail
Make it easier for your family. Establish your powers of attorney now, rather than waiting until the unexpected has overtaken you, and it’s too late. Our Phelps LaClair firm will be glad to walk you through the process, create the necessary legal documents, and give you a checklist of how to prepare the person(s) you’ve named as your Durable Powers of Attorney. And when the time comes, we can also help them with any questions they may have about your wishes. We’re good at planning estates and giving you peace of mind as you grow older, and we want your family to be prepared and your legacy to be protected for future generations.
Images used under creative commons license – Commercial Use (6/28/18) Nicole De Khors from Burst