What is a medical power of attorney?

When making an estate plan, it’s important to consider your medical future. You can’t always predict exactly what is going to happen. But your estate plan can take some steps to ensure that your response is already prepared.

One way to do this is to use a medical power of attorney. You can use this document to appoint a medical agent to act on your behalf. They are essentially granted the same decision-making power that you would normally have so that they can talk to your doctors about what treatments you should get and what procedures should – or should not – be used.

Do you lose your own ability to make these decisions?

No, you can still make decisions for as long as you’re able. You simply design the power of attorney so that it doesn’t go into effect until you’re incapacitated.

For instance, if you just got sick but you still had the cognitive ability to understand what was happening and to work with your medical team, you would be allowed to do so. Your agent would not have the power to overrule you.

But if you were incapacitated entirely so that you couldn’t communicate with the doctors – such as if you suffered from a stroke or a heart attack that left you in a medically induced coma – then your agent could step in. This way, you know that there will always be someone who is putting your best interests first and making the medical decisions that will be best in your life.

Creating your estate plan

A power of attorney is a crucial part of an estate plan that can help things go much more smoothly for your family. Make sure you take the time to look into the legal options at your disposal. Call or contact us for your free initial consultation.