Health Care Proxy Documents

When a person faces the possibility of undergoing a medical procedure they may not return from, they may want to get their affairs in order beforehand. However, there may not be enough time to draft a full living will. Instead, a person may decide to use a document known as a health care proxy, or durable power of attorney. These forms pass all decision-making to a trusted agent who will make decisions out until the incapacitated individual regains his or her decision-making abilities.

These documents must contain a certain amount of information to be legal. Obviously, the appointed agent must clearly be listed in the document. Additionally, the individual should prepare a statement that provides instruction in the event of any further health emergencies. Most of these documents should lay out a plan for brain death and whether the individual would like to be resuscitated or not.

There are some procedures that these documents require. A person signing over his or her rights when incapacitated to another individual needs to have at least two witness when the document is being drafted. Whenever these documents are drafted, an attorney should be present. This legal counsel can help a person determine what legal options they may have in these situations.

If you are facing a potentially life-threatening medical procedure, drafting a document to give certain legal powers to a trusted loved one can be an important precaution. To learn more about your options in terms of health care proxies and living wills, discuss your case with an experienced legal professional for more information.