Canton Healthcare Power of Attorney Lawyer
There are a number of legal tools at your disposal when it comes to ensuring that your medical wishes are carried out in the event of serious illness or injury that leaves you incapacitated. Here at the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe, our Canton healthcare power of attorney lawyer.
doesn’t just use boilerplate documents and send our clients on their way. We help our clients understand how these legal tools, such as healthcare power of attorney, actually work, and advise them on what route to take to best meet their needs.
What is a Healthcare Power of Attorney?
A healthcare power of attorney is a legal document that designates another party as your representative to make healthcare decisions for you in the event that you become incapacitated due to an accidental injury, illness, or suffer from another type of impairment in which you can no longer make decisions for yourself. A healthcare power of attorney is similar to a living will, also called a healthcare directive, but there are two main differences: 1) a living will does not place a person in charge of decision-making, it defines (in writing) what type of medical care you wish to have in certain circumstances, and 2) a living will is only relevant if your incapacitated condition is likely to be permanent (permanent coma, terminal illness, or vegetative state). A healthcare power of attorney can be implemented whether the incapacitated condition is temporary or permanent.
Who Should I Choose to be My Agent?
The party that you choose to be your agent or representative should have the emotional capacity, understanding of your wishes, and enough basic medical knowledge to make decisions on your behalf if you are unconscious. Some of the more serious decisions an agent of a healthcare power of attorney may end up making include whether or not you want to be placed on a ventilator, what type of life-saving surgeries or procedures you wish to have done, or end of life pain management care. Commonly, agents are spouses, adult children, siblings, or other close family members.
What Other Healthcare Legal Tools Should I Consider?
A living will/advance care directive is often used in conjunction with healthcare power of attorney. By doing so, you help take away any guessing that your agent might have to do. A living will can entirely take away certain options from the healthcare power of attorney agent. Having a living will help narrow the options of the healthcare power of attorney agent, ensuring that you get the care and treatment that you want, even if you cannot advocate for yourself in the moment.
Reach Out to a Canton Healthcare Power of Attorney Lawyer Today
The most traumatic thing that can happen to your loved ones is being forced to make a decision about your medical treatment without knowing what you want. A healthcare power of attorney designates one person to do this job, while a living will provides guidance. Call the Law Office Brian S. Karpe today at 860-217-1458 to schedule a free consultation with our Canton healthcare power of attorney lawyer.
