YOUR ESTATE PLAN MAY BENEFIT FROM A HEALTH CARE PROXY
Each year many Florida residents are involved in health crises that place their capacity to make decisions about their care in jeopardy. Whether they are incapacitated through accidents or illnesses, people who lose their ability to make informed decisions about management of their own health can be left at the mercy of medical professionals and their family members to act in accordance with the wishes the individuals are believed to hold.
There is a way, though, for a person to prepare for this unfortunate but potential occurrence in their life: through the creation of a health care proxy. A health care proxy is an estate planning tool that vests the power to make medical decisions about the creator in another person in the event that the creator cannot do so for themselves.
A health care proxy is not the same as a power of attorney and these two tools are put into place in separate estate planning documents. While a health care proxy gives someone the right to make medical decisions about another person, a power of attorney gives someone the power to make financial decisions for the document's creator.
It is important that a person's heath care proxy is aware of the document creator's intentions and wishes regarding their medical treatment and care. This can include whether the creator wants lifesaving steps to be taken to extend their lives or if they would prefer DNR orders to be respected.
Consultation with an estate planning attorney can be a good step for a person to take to include a health care proxy in their estate plan. This important tool can serve a person when they are least likely to be able to act for themselves and need help seeing their medical wishes respected.
Please reach out to us at 141 5th Street NW, Suite 300, Winter Haven, Florida 33881 at 863.294.1114.
Established in 1991, Rignanese & Associates is available to work with clients on their legal needs.
On behalf of J. Kelly Kennedy, Attorney/CPA, PLLC, which has been acquired by Rignanese & Associates, PLLC.