Medical Power of Attorney

Today in medicine, we have the power to keep people alive through the wonders of machines. Unfortunately, while a person is being kept alive through the use of a machine, he or she typically cannot make healthcare decisions for him or herself. This is where assigning Medical Power of Attorney is necessary.

Getting a Medical Power of Attorney is a critical part of preparing for the future. It allows a trusted individual to make decisions regarding healthcare on another person’s behalf. This is particularly useful as few hospitals wish to take on the responsibility of determining an individual’s healthcare decisions for that person, especially considering society’s propensity to sue.

Having a valid Medical Power of Attorney helps doctors determine when life-supporting measures should be stopped. If you do not wish to use a life-sustaining measure, this can be conveyed to the individual with medical power of attorney. This person will then be able to convey your wishes to the doctors.

An individual with Medical Power of Attorney has a wide range of power when consenting to treatment on the principal’s behalf. Agents cannot, however, consent to:

• Commitment to a mental institution
• Psychosurgery
• Abortion
• Convulsive treatment
• Neglect of comfort care

Furthermore, the principal is able to limit the agent’s decision making authority further in the Medical Power of Attorney document itself.

Individuals with Medical Power of Attorney only have this responsibility for healthcare decisions. They cannot make financial or other decisions on behalf of another person unless they’ve been granted other forms of Power of Attorney.