A power of attorney is a representative you choose to handle financial and medical decisions should you become incapacitated. Making the right selection is crucial to ensure medical staff and family are fully aware of your decisions, while also making certain that these wishes are carried out appropriately. Very Well Health offers the following tips on how to choose the most suitable power of attorney.
Being an effective communicator means you’re able to convey information clearly and succinctly. This is especially important in an emergency medical situation, where decisions will need to be made rapidly as the patient’s condition changes. Your power of attorney should be able to keep up with a quickly changing situation all while fielding questions from family and medical staff. The person will also need to be assertive when discussing your end-of-life plans with others. It can be intimidating to challenge medical staff, but it might be necessary if a doctor is suggesting a treatment goes against your wishes.
In the same token, it helps to pick a person who has a grasp on medical knowledge and terminology. This saves time, as healthcare staff won’t need to explain treatments and procedures at length with the power of attorney. Even if your representative hasn’t been formally trained, he or she should be willing to conduct research on conditions, treatments, and tests to fulfill the power of attorney duties.
Lastly, choose a person you trust implicitly. Not only must he or she be available when you need assistance, your selection must also be willing to uphold your wishes, no matter what they are. This is a huge responsibility and you want to rest assured that your power of attorney can live up to the challenge.