Health Care Power of Attorney
It is critically important that you include a health care power of attorney in your overall estate plan.
A health care power of attorney authorizes an agent to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make decisions yourself.
This document allows your agent to communicate with physicians and other health care providers, have access to your medical records, and instruct those providers as to the type of health care you should be receiving.
It is important to designate someone who can make decisions on your behalf. Talk with your family and then discuss with us.
Mental Health Power of Attorney
In addition to your health care power of attorney, you should absolutely have a mental health power of attorney that specifically deals with mental health treatment.
Most people do not realize that an agent under a health care power of attorney cannot admit you to a level one behaviorial facility for mental health evaluation and treatment.
The consequence of not having a mental health power of attorney (or mental health powers within your health care power of attorney) is that a court-ordered guardian will have to be appointed who will have the authority needed to get you the proper mental health treatment.
Do not leave this out of your estate plan.
Living Will
A living will consists of your wishes for how you wish to be cared for once you have been determined to have a terminal condition and that death is likely to occur within a short time.
This document contains your instructions that will be carried out by your agent on your health care power of attorney.
This is the document where you will make known whether you with to be on life support or be administered food and fluids. If you choose, you can indicate if you wish to be kept comfortable without the use of life sustaining measures.
In this document you can also make known your wishes regarding autopsy, burial, cremation and organ donation.
Final Disposition Instructions
It is very helpful to your family and loved ones to express your wishes regarding your final disposition.
This document allows you to indicate if you wish to have a burial and whether you wish to be cremated. If you have specific plans that you wish to be carried out, this is the place to make those wishes known.
You will designate an agent who will be in charge of making sure that your final disposition instructions are carried out.
