What's a POA?

Last year at about this time, I was in the hospital having my gall bladder removed. Lucky for me, despite the pain, I was lucid and could make my own decisions. Also, I was thankful that I had documentation naming my mother as my power of attorney and health care proxy (if I wasn’t lucid).

A health care proxy is a document that names someone you trust as your proxy, or agent, to express your wishes and make health care decisions for you if you are unable to speak for yourself. A health care proxy may also be called a durable medical power of attorney or an appointment of a health care agent or health care surrogate. Naming a proxy can help ensure that you get the health care you prefer in the event that you cannot communicate your wishes. — Medicare Interactive

A power of attorney (POA) is a legally binding document that allows you to appoint someone to manage your property, medical, or financial affairs. Although it can be uncomfortable to think about needing one, a POA is an important part of any estate plan. Anyone over 18 can create a POA, and it's a common starting point for people who are ready to start formalizing plans for their future. — LegalZoom

Other documents to consider having…

Living wills and other advance directives are written, legal instructions regarding your preferences for medical care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Advance directives guide choices for doctors and caregivers if you're terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia or near the end of life. — Mayo Clinic

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR): A type of advance directive in which a person states that healthcare providers should not perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (restarting the heart) if his or her heart or breathing stops. Also called DNR order. — Cancer.gov

Alright, now that you know the documents you can have and should have. What can happen if you don’t have a POA or Health Care Proxy? Guardianship proceedings (in a court), inability to access financial accounts, pay bills, medical records or qualify for Medicare/Medicaid. (James Rizzo, Esq, Rome Sentinel). As long as you have a health care proxy and you have instructed them that you don’t want to be kept alive by machine or resuscitated, you can get away without having a living will and DNR. However, you should have these if you have family members that don’t see eye to eye. Just read about the Terri Schiavo Case and you’ll be convinced to have these documents too.

The most important document of course is the Will. Next in line is the POA and Health Care Proxy and coming in last are the living will and DNR. Now is as a good time as any to take care of these. A friend of mine with kids said that she and her husband had not done their wills because they couldn’t decide on who to name as a guardian for the kids. I told her to leave that out and do the wills anyway because they could add it later. I hope she listened to me!