We hope you are healthy and safe. The COVID-19 crisis reminds us of the need to have a Health Care Proxy. This can be critical if you or your family have to deal with medical emergencies.
A Health Care Proxy enables you to appoint a person you trust to make medical decisions if you are unable to make them for yourself. When could this happen? When you’re in a coma, unconscious or your understanding is impaired. If you already have a Health Care Proxy, it’s a good time to locate it, review it and make sure that your loved ones can find it. If you don’t, we have included a sample Health Care Proxy here for your convenience.
You should make sure that the agent that you’ve appointed understands your wishes regarding treatment in a medical emergency.
Your Health Care Agent and family members should have copies of your Health Care Proxy. For easy access – in a hospital, for instance- ask them to keep a copy on their cell phones. Doctors and medical personnel will accept a copy, so you do not have to worry about carrying around an original signed document.
The good news is that this is not a difficult document to prepare and execute; you only need two witnesses (your agent cannot be one of the witnesses) to watch you execute the document. Your signature does not need to be notarized.
And remember, it’s not just you who needs a Health Care Proxy. Everyone in your family who’s over the age of eighteen should have one.
Please stay safe, be prepared and contact us if we can help.
Required Disclaimer: This alert is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute, and should not be considered legal advice. Specific facts and circumstances will differ. Neither the transmission nor the receipt of this information shall create an attorney-client relationship between the transmitter and the recipient. You should not take, or refrain from taking, any action based upon information contained in this alert without consulting legal counsel of your own choosing. Under applicable professional rules of conduct, this informational publication may be considered attorney advertising.
