Health Power of Attorney

There are a few documents that everyone should take the time to put together. A will is the most obvious, but probably even more important is a Medical Power of Attorney. This is an especially important piece of the Aging Parent conversation. Why? You didn't really ask why. You already get it deep in your bones. At some point, decisions are going to be made, and this helps ensure that the right ones are made. For example, I'm one of 4 daughters. I also happen to share a residence with my parents. It seems very likely that if something happened that required a medical decision, I'd be present and could help make those decisions. My sisters could give me that power, and may just do it assuming that since I see them most often I know what they want. But just because I'm the closest physically doesn't mean that I'm the closest in temperament and would make decisions as they would. You might be surprised how often I see this play out. Your Health Power of Attorney should be someone you trust to make decisions as you would make those same decisions - not necessarily the person you see most often. I'll be doing a video series later on with a family practice doctor to discuss the other documents you should be sure to have. In the mean time, I've linked to one here so you can see what it looks like. I know this post isn't the most eloquent, so bear with me on this journey. I've got some good stuff up my sleeve. (and I'm of course going to add a disclaimer that I am not an attorney and you should always have documents reviewed by an attorney if you have any questions.)