A medical power of attorney is an important legal document that can be added to your estate plan. If you use one, you give the power to make medical decisions to a specific agent that you select. If you are incapacitated – something people are often thinking about with estate planning because of issues that may come along with aging – then the power of attorney goes into affect.
You can see how helpful it is to have this in place, but it’s also very helpful to make sure you’ve chosen the right person. What should you look for in an agent?
Someone who understands your medical situation
First and foremost, you want someone that you’ve talked to about your medical situation and your desires. You want to make sure that they have a firm intellectual grasp of potential treatments that you might need and treatments that you’d like to avoid. They’re going to make very important decisions for you that may even have life or death ramifications, so they need to be well prepared to make these decisions.
Someone who is willing to do it
Since these decisions sometimes involve life and death, as mentioned above, it’s also important to note that this is not the best role for everyone. Some people just struggle too much emotionally with making these difficult decisions. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, since you may be a close loved one. But you do want to find an agent who will be able to make these choices and won’t feel that it is overwhelming or difficult.
Someone who is relatively nearby
Finally, in an emergency situation where you are quickly taken to a hospital and decisions need to be made, your agent has to respond quickly. You don’t want to pick someone who lives too far away from you or who is too removed and difficult to contact. Many health issues, such as a heart attack or a stroke, come on very suddenly and without warning. Your agent must to be able to make decisions right away.
If you are interested in setting up this document, take the time to carefully review your legal options.