Living Will and Medical Power of Attorney in Vancouver, WA
Take control of your medical and healthcare wishes.
Healthcare Directive vs. Durable Healthcare POA
A Living Will states your specific wishes with regards to removing medical care if your doctor believes there is no chance for your recovery.
Both Healthcare Directive and Durable Healthcare Powers of Attorney address decisions regarding your healthcare. The Healthcare Directive memorializes your specific wishes with regards to removing medical care if your doctor believes there is no chance for your recovery or other instances that included in the Healthcare Directive. A Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney compliments the Healthcare Directive. The Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney appoints an Attorney-in-Fact, which gives someone else (the Attorney-in-Fact) the power to make all health care decisions, including carrying out the wishes you have addressed in your Healthcare Directive when you are not able to make those decisions.
Your health care is your business
A Healthcare Directive requires a lot of thought. Selecting the wrong person as Surrogate can mean your wishes are not respected, and conflicts can arise within the family. We are among the most experienced living will and medical power of attorney lawyers in Vancouver WA, and we are ready to assist and brainstorm with you about your decisions.
What Should Be in a Health Care Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive?
Your health care is your business, and you have the right to make your health care decisions as long as you are capable. In today’s world of modern medicine, you may quickly need medical decisions long after you are no longer competent and capable of communicating with your health care provider. These situations can arise suddenly, the result of an accident or unexpected illness, leaving decisions such as what doctor should care for you, what treatment protocol to follow, and refusing medical care up to someone else. These can be tough decisions, and it is important to you that the person making them represents your wishes, and it is vital to the person on whose shoulders you place this burden to know what actions you want them to take. By completing a Health Care Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive, you can voice your wishes, select the person who will speak for you, but also give that person guidance to make these challenging and personal decisions.
A properly drafted Health Care Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive in Vancouver, WA, should:
Appoint a person who can make health care decisions for you if you are ever unable to make them yourself;
Give that person the power under HIPPA to review your medical records and to gather information from your medical team;
Give your Surrogate guidance as to what your wishes are for medical care;
Give your Surrogate the power to agree with your physician to stop providing you medical attention if you are in a persistent vegetative state or a terminal condition.
Also, you may choose to address other issues, such as designating your Surrogate to have the power to donate your organs. Not every person is able or willing to serve as a medical proxy. Further, the decisions made might mean turning off your life support, so communication to your Medical Agent about your wishes and ideas on life support is a vital step in your estate plan. Without your guidance, there could be disagreements among your family and friends as to who should be making decisions and what you wished.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and see how a living will and medical power of attorney in Vancouver, WA, may work for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Typically, you will have both. Many states combine the two documents into one. The Living Will is focused on deathbed concerns, while the Power of Attorney allows your Surrogate to address a multitude of medical issues if you are unable to act.
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This person might not be the same individual you select to handle your financial affairs or serve as your executor. Some people are excellent with numbers but terrible in the hospital. Further, this person should make the decision you would make, not the decision that they think is right. This person might also have to negotiate complex family relationships. Be realistic about your candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.
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No. If your spouse is unable to act under pressure or will not respect your wishes, consider someone else.
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Yes. This decision may arise anytime even at 4 AM. Your Agent should have a copy so they can prove to your acting doctor that they have the authority to act on your behalf.
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A Healthcare Directive is sometimes known as a Living Will. The Healthcare Directive, or Living Will, states your specific wishes with regards to removing medical care if your doctor believes there is no chance for your recovery. This is sometimes referred to as an Advanced Medical Directive or Advanced Healthcare Directive. This is complemented with the Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney, which gives someone else the power to make any health care decisions, including carrying out the wishes you have addressed in your Living Will if you are not able to make those decisions.
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An Advanced Healthcare Directive is another name for a Living Will. The Advanced Healthcare Directive/Living Will states your specific wishes with regards to removing medical care if your doctor believes there is no chance for your recovery. Living Wills are typically complemented with the Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney (sometimes called a Health Care Proxy). These documents give someone else the power to make any health care decisions, including carrying out the wishes you have addressed in your Living Will if you are not able to make those decisions.
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A DNR or Do-Not-Resuscitate Order is authorized either by the patient or the patient’s Surrogate through a Living Will and Medical Power of Attorney. The DNR is the doctor’s order to the staff instructing them not to use heroic measures, such as CPR or respirator if the patient stops breathing.
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HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This legislation addressed patient data privacy. Typically, HIPPA Authorizations are included in a Living Will or Medical Power of Attorney, allowing the Surrogate or Medical Agent access to private medical data.
