It is a good idea to have a Medical Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive in place for when the time comes that you are unable to make your own medical decisions.
A Medical Power of Attorney allows you to select a person of your choosing to make medical decisions on your behalf when you are not capable. You may hear this person referred to as an agent. You may even select back up agents in case the person you choose in unable or unwilling to act as your agent when the time comes. In addition to other powers, your agent can be given power to consent to, prohibit or withdraw medical treatment. It is important to choose someone that you trust to follow your instructions even if they would not make the same decisions themselves. This document goes hand in hand with a Healthcare Directive where you can make your wishes clear to the person you have chosen to make decisions for you.
In a Healthcare Directive you can make the job of your agent easier because they will know what your wishes are. It may even help reduce conflict between family members when they can see that the other family member was acting on your wishes and not on their own. If there was no reasonable expectation of recovery from a serious illness or condition would you want life-prolonging procedures to be withdrawn? If so, you can make those wishes known through your Healthcare Directive. If a doctor believes that life-prolonging procedure may lead to a significant recovery would you want your doctor to try the treatment for a period of time but withdraw it if does not improve your condition? Again, these wishes can be placed in the Healthcare Directive so that your agent will know how to proceed in such circumstances. Would you want to be given treatment for pain? Do you wish to donate your organs upon your death? These wishes can also be written into your Healthcare Directive.