Advance Healthcare Directive

3 Legal Documents to be aware of prior to first Major Medical Treatment

What we wish to happen to us when we are not in positions to do so for ourselves is something we sometimes need to consider sooner rather than later.

Important paperwork to file for, with a legal aid. It is best with a legal aid of some sort as the documentation needed for these can be changed yearly.

1. Living Will
2. Healthcare Proxy
3. Power of Attorney

1) Living Will

A written statement detailing desires regarding medical treatment in circumstances in which you are no longer able to express informed consent, especially an advance directive.

2) Healthcare Proxy

A document with which you appoint an agent to legally make healthcare decisions on your behalf when you are incapable of making and executing the health care decisions stipulated in the proxy.

If you are either temporary inability to make health care decisions, or permanent inability to make health care decisions. Without this, your doctor can make choices for you, where you may wish family to do so instead.

3) Power of Attorney

The authority to act for another person in specified or all legal or financial matters.

This is helpful to have if you are deaf, or cannot speak and require a family member to speak to doctors and other people on the phone for you.