Healthcare powers of attorney

While general powers of attorney enable a loved one to make financial decisions on your behalf, healthcare powers of attorney enable a loved one to make medical decisions on your behalf. These documents work hand-in-hand with a living will to ensure that medical care is carried out in accordance with your wishes. While living wills are important, they are subject to certain limitations. First, they only come into play during end-stage medical conditions; for instance, you would need to be terminally ill, unconscious without chance of regaining consciousness, in a persistent vegetative state, etc. They do not cover situations where you may only temporarily be unable to make your own medical decisions. Second, while a good living will will be as comprehensive as possible, it cannot anticipate every possible situation. Without a healthcare power of attorney, medical professionals will call upon a family member to make these decisions for you. This may be someone with whom you have not discussed your preferences. Further difficulties can arise when more than one family member is involved and they disagree on the appropriate course of action. To prevent this, and to ensure that your wishes are followed to the best ability possible, it is important to designate some one you trust and with whom you've discussed these matters as healthcare power of attorney.