Sunday, August 15, 2004

Medical power of attorney

Among the many hats a caregiver wears is the power of attorney.

 

Too often in the standard paperwork the person with power of attorney is empowered to ‘designate’ a surrogate however that takes time and legal paperwork, often notarized paperwork.

 

Whether medical or general it is MOST useful to have a pre-designated alternative should you be unavailable.

 

Obviously should something catastrophic happen to you it is critical but also for simple convenience. For example while I’m traveling out of state, Patti’s pre-designated alternative (her Mom) is instantly and legally available.

 

That smooth transition can make such a difference not only in daily advocacy but in precious time should an emergency arise.

 

Also by “pre-designating” the person establishing the power of attorney can state their preference for a surrogate rather than their attorney choosing some one they may not be comfortable with or even know.

 

Sometimes it is worth looking beyond the first layer of a concern and solution.

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