A medical power of attorney is a document that you can use when you’re doing your estate planning. It is similar to an advance directive that provides medical instructions for a doctor or care team. But instead of specifically providing instructions, This document chooses someone and gives them the right to do so on your behalf.
You don’t have to give up that right at the moment that you create the power of attorney. It is simply part of your estate plan and, if you become incapacitated, then the power transfers to the other individual that you selected. Here are two advantages of doing this.
The proper decisions are made
First and foremost, a medical power of attorney ensures that someone you trust is going to be making your medical decisions. You can talk with this person in advance to ensure that they make the right choices in accordance with your wishes. If you didn’t have a document in place, you would simply have to hope that your family members would make decisions that you agreed with, if pressed to do so. But a medical a power of attorney sets things up so that you know exactly what will occur.
It’s easier for your family
Another major advantage, especially for an elderly person, is this can make the process easier for your family. It’s often hard for them to make difficult decisions, especially if these are life or death decisions. But knowing that you have chosen someone to make these choices and explained to them what you want removes a lot of the stress and emotional difficulty.
If you are interested in adding a power of attorney to your estate plan, you just need to know what steps to take.