Financial and Health Care Power of Attorneys

A health care power of attorney is a document that appoints someone else to make decisions regarding your medical care. Another name for this document is called durable power of attorney for health care. The primary reason you need a health care power of attorney is because it will allow your appointed agent to communicate for you, if your health declines to the state that you can no longer communicate with others. This communication can be to your doctors and other health care providers. Preparing a health care power of attorney lets you control, at least to some degree, the health care you'll receive when you're unable to do so directly. The person named in your health care power of attorney is usually referred to as your agent and they can communicate whether you want aggressive health care if you have a long, chronic illness, whether you want to be resuscitated if you have an illness causing severe dementia and whether there are any medical treatments you have a religious objection. The person you select as your health care agent will be your voice, therefore it is very important that you choose someone that you trust.

There is also a regular power of attorney document that will allow someone else to make financial decisions if you are unable to do so and affords that appointee to write checks and make withdraws on your behalf.