Estate Planning in Raleigh, Durham, and Morrisville – Health Care Power of Attorney
Most of the time, if you’re in the hospital or at the doctor’s office, you can make decisions about whether you want a particular procedure, whether you want to be admitted to a particular hospital, whether you want to receive certain treatments or medication, etc. You can also get access to your medical records or decide who gets information about your medical condition.
However, at some point, you may not be able to communicate those decisions. You may be incapacitated. If that happens, a Health Care Power of Attorney becomes valuable. A North Carolina Health Care Power of Attorney allows someone else to receive information on your behalf and make medical decisions when the doctors determine that you can’t make those decisions yourself. So, if you are unconscious, for example, the doctor will know which person to go to with information about your condition and whose instructions to follow.
Why is it important to designate a health care agent? Well, for one, your family members might disagree about your treatment. It is important to designate someone to prevent familial strife. It is also important to make sure that someone you trust is designated for these important medical decisions.
If you are considering estate planning in Raleigh, Durham, or Morrisville, the attorneys at Hopler & Wilms offer reasonable and competitive rates for estate planning services, including the drafting of a Health Care Power of Attorney.