Do I Need a Medical Power of Attorney?

A medical power of attorney is a legal document, also called a healthcare power of attorney or durable power of attorney for healthcare. This document lets you designate an agent to make medical decisions on your behalf. This can give you peace of mind, even if you don’t think you’ll need it, says SmartAsset in the recent article “How to Set Up Medical Power of Attorney.”  

A medical power of attorney isn’t the same as a living will. A living will is a document that directs what you’d want healthcare professionals to do if you become incapacitated. This could include the implementation of life support and tube feeding, resuscitation attempts and organ donations.

A medical power of attorney doesn’t simply record your wishes as a living will does. It appoints a specific person to make medical decisions for you if you can’t speak for yourself. You might have both a living will and a medical power of attorney. If decisions need to be made about resuscitation and life support, recording those wishes in a living will takes those difficult decisions out of your agent’s hands.

When you’re deciding on someone to serve as your healthcare agent, find a person with whom you’re comfortable talking about your health-related issues.  This person should be your advocate, follow your wishes and make sound decisions—even if family says otherwise.

The Commission on Law and Aging of the American Bar Association advises that you select an agent you truly trust. It also offers some general guidelines for agents that you should probably avoid. The ABA says don’t choose an agent:

• Who owns a health or residential facility that is in charge of your care;
• Who’s a spouse or employee of anyone that currently serves you medically, like a doctor or residential facility owner;
• Whose job it is to medically evaluate you, like a doctor;
• Who’s the same person as your court-approved guardian or conservator; or
• Who is already a healthcare agent for more than 10 people.

Be sure to name a backup agent, in the event your medical power of attorney can’t make decisions on your behalf.

Talk to a qualified estate planning attorney to get help with this and other legal documents, and to be sure that your documents meet your state’s requirements.

Reference: SmartAsset (May 8, 2019) “How to Set Up Medical Power of Attorney”