The Differences Between A Living Will A Medical Power Of Attorney And A Medical Proxy

Many people do not realize that quality health care involves making future care decisions. This can be especially important if you currently have a chronic illness that may render you unable to communicate down the road. A living will, a medical power of attorney or a medical proxy are all things that can help you ensure you enjoy the best level of care possible. There are differences between these three things, and it is important to know what suits your situation best.

A living will helps you speak for yourself when you are unable to. If you suddenly suffer a stroke or other illness, you may be unable to communicate or may be deemed incapable of making important medical decisions. This can leave your care in the hands of people who may not know your wishes. A living will can spell out in as much detail as you would like what your medical decisions. They can include whether or not you authorize the use of a ventilator or feeding tube, the use of analgesics or antibiotics, or whether you will allow resuscitation to be used to keep you alive.

Legally, if a person is determined to be not in their right mind, their medical wishes can be counteracted. By creating a living will, you are making decisions when you can be considered to be in your right mind. This can make it harder for people to dispute your decisions and go against what you would want.

There is another document called a medical power of attorney. This document names a person or persons who will be responsible for making medical decisions on your behalf. This person will be responsible for any medical decisions relating to your care.

A medical proxy is a person who will make the medical decisions for you. They can be appointed by you. In some cases a court of law will often appoint a medical proxy for a minor if the people around them are determined to be incapable of making the best medical decisions for a patient. Sometimes this may be a doctor. However, if that doctor does not know your wishes or they are untrustworthy, you may find that they go against your wishes and treat you in a way that you did not want.

Health care decisions can be difficult to make especially if you are unwell or under a great deal of stress. By exploring options such as medical power of attorney, a living will or the naming of a medical proxy you can be sure that your wishes are followed and you receive the treatment that you have always wanted.

By: FrankRod

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It really isn't that difficult to make a living will part of your estate plan. You can find a living will form online for free that will afford you a basic outline without the expense of hiring an attorney.