How to Apply for Power of Attorney for Personal Care
To allow a trusted relative or friend to make decisions regarding your personal health care when you can't speak or communicate for yourself, you need to obtain a durable health care power of attorney. In his book, "Powers of Attorney Simplified," attorney Daniel Sitarz shows how easy it is to obtain various powers of attorney without hiring the services of an attorney. An attorney can create a power of attorney form for you, but it's not difficult for you to do yourself.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose the person you wish to assign the power of attorney over your health care should you become incapacitated, and obtain his or her agreement to accept the role.
-
2
Decide which health decisions you want made for you if you are not able to communicate your choices.
-
-
3
Use state-specific legal forms that are available online to help you with ideas. In writing your instructions, tailor the form to fit your individual wishes.
-
4
Make sure the completed form is free of any erasures or corrections.
-
5
Make sure that instructions are clear and in line with your wishes.
-
6
Let a notary public sign and notarize the document after witnessing your and your witnesses' signatures.
-
7
Make several copies of the notarized document and deliver them to the following: the financial institution that you intend to honor your power of attorney; attending physician; person chosen as your power-of-attorney agent; executor of your will; spouse; and a trusted family member or friend.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
--Combine a living will with your durable health care power of attorney to help your health care proxy, agent or attorney-in-fact make the best decisions for your health care should you become incapacitated.
--The durable health care power of attorney can only deal with matters pertaining to your health care should you become incapacitated. Designate a separate power of attorney to handle your financial matters.
--Choosing your agent to exercise the power of attorney is a decision that should not be made lightly by you or the person who accepts the responsibility. The durable health care power of attorney is more authoritative than a living will. It gives the person you designate the power of life or death over you, attorney Sitarz warns.
