A health care proxy or health care power of attorney is a document which names someone to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to make them yourself. This isn’t just limited to end of life matters, like with a living will. Instead, it allows one person to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself. An example might be while having surgery, if the doctor has to do something unexpected. Because you are under anesthesia, your health care agent can make the decision for you.
The decisions your health care agent makes do not have to be life or death. They might be as simple as consenting to an unexpected x-ray during a surgery or requesting copies of your medical records if you are unable to do so.
At some point in our lives, most of us will have some sort of surgery and may have to be under anesthesia, which means we will not be capable of making health care decisions for at least a few hours. A health care power of attorney gives you the peace of mind of knowing someone you trust will be making those decisions for you. Schedule a time to meet with our Durham estate planning attorneys today and they can help you choose the best person for the job and get your official documents started.