Putting Together a Plan for Healthcare POA in Advance of a Catastrophe
MANY of us put off planning for our end-of-life health needs as we think it is something for old age which is a long way off – but emergencies can happen at any time.
And if you or a loved one has a medical emergency it pays to have a healthcare power of attorney in place.
With an unexpected accident at work or car crash, or a medical issue like a heart attack which can happen without warning and at any time, we all need to have our legal ducks in a row so our relatives both know and have the power to make decisions for us that we cannot if we are incapacitated.
By taking the time now to prepare your healthcare power of attorney, your next of kin has one less thing to worry about in that emergency – they both know what your wishes are and have the legal authority to work with your medical team to make sure it happens.
As with your other legal necessities such as a will, it is a living document and can and should be revisited regularly to make sure it is up to date.
A medical power of attorney only comes into play when the emergency happens – it is only activated when you are not in a position to make decisions for yourself. Research shows that people who have prepared these documents are much more likely to receive the care they want at the end of their life.
Examples of decisions you can make for your future care include what emergency treatments you may or may not wish to receive such as being put on a ventilator or fed artificially or even receiving CPR in the event a heart stops – this may be an obvious choice for a younger person, but an elderly person may well experience broken ribs or even a collapsed lung after CPR could cause extreme lifestyle consequences even if the CPR itself is successful.
It is worth speaking with an expert to talk through different treatments and scenarios to decide what you may or may not wish to go through should the worst happen.
By having these discussions now your relatives are put at ease as they will know exactly what you want should you need it and can communicate those wishes – with legal power – directly to your doctors without having to double guess your preferences.
It is important to talk with your named agent to know their potential responsibilities and how to access the documents they will need to work with your medical team.
Hopefully, of course, your wishes will be met, and you recover when the power of attorney will naturally lapse again as you can make decisions for yourself again but if not, your loved ones know they are doing exactly the right thing by you should you be at the end of your life.
Matters that can be included include Do Not Resuscitate orders, stating at what point treatment should be withdrawn, and any intents you have for organ and tissue donations to help others after your death.
Seek legal advice in drawing up a healthcare power of attorney to ensure your wishes are properly documented to give you and your loved one peace of mind during a difficult time.
