Why You Need Medical Power Of Attorney And Living Will
[ photo by Anna Shvets ]
Why you need medical power of attorney and living will.
I recently wrote a post regarding discussing yours and your loved ones’ wishes regarding end of life care. That is step-one. If that is the only thing you do, please at least do that. In this post, I want to encourage next steps after that initial conversation. That is creating both a living will and establishing a medical power of attorney.
(Related blog post: Importance Of Talking About End-Of-Life Decisions)
It is important to create a living will, also known as an Advance Health Care Directive. This document allows someone to outline wishes for his or her medical treatment at the end of life. A living will helps loved ones remember exactly what it is she wants for the end of her life. While still an emotional time, it can help to take some of the emotion out of making tough decisions.
(Related blog post: End Of Life Care At Home)
In addition to the living will, the medical power of attorney (POA), is very important to establish as well. Many of you might wonder why this is necessary. Well, let’s talk about why that is important. Many do not know state laws on who might be the one to make medical decisions for someone who is incapacitated.
In Indiana, for instance, the order of who would be selected to make these decisions would be (listed in the order of who is first in line to make the decision: 1.) spouse 2.) any adult child 3.) any parent 4.) any adult sibling 5.) any grandparent 6.) any adult grandchild 7.) any other adult relative or 8.) a friend who meets certain conditions.
For many of you reading, the order of those listed would be who you would appoint as your medical POA, so you might feel this is not a necessary step to take. For instance, let’s visit the second in line, any adult child. If someone has multiple children, each of these children will have a vote in what should happen with their aging parent’s care. Just like each child has a different personality and different opinion on life, the same could possibly happen in an end-of-life situation, leading to a disagreement and possibly, a delay in your or your loved one’s wishes being carried out. I have seen this first-hand, and it often does not end well.
How to create a medical power of attorney and living will.
So how do you go about getting a living will and medical power of attorney completed? There are a couple of different options. One simple one is to go online and print a form. Once the forms are printed and filled out, they must be notarized to be legally sound.
Another option is to go through an attorney. This is an excellent option, one both my husband and I used. The benefit of this option is that you can, with more convenience, have documents customized with the details you or your loved one might want listed in regards to the end-of-life care details and the details for the medical POA.
No matter which route you take to have these documents completed for your aging parent and/or yourself, I want to encourage you to just get it done. Once it is completed, keep the original in a safe spot where you know it can easily be found. I have had patients in the past who keep a copy of the documents on their refrigerator door so that any emergency personnel that might have to enter the home can quickly grab it. It is also good to have additional copies available to take with each hospitalization that might occur.
Don’t wait another year to complete your medical power of attorney and living will.
We are not yet to the new year, but it will be here before we all know it. If you are into creating To Do Lists like me, add the that to your list to have completed before the end of 2021 if it has not already been done.
Leave a comment or email me directly for attorney recommendations in the greater Indianapolis area.
Feeling overwhelmed with the process?
Afraid you may not make the right decision at the right time? This stage of life for you and your aging parent often brings more questions than answers. Reading information from a trusted source like me can help guide you in the process. However, if you still feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am happy to help with a personalized plan for your unique situation.
© 2021 Jessica Kluetz, DO