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Advance Directives

Wed, 03/08/2006 - 9:07am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

Advance Directives - include healthcare power of attorney or proxy, living will, Do Not Recessitate (DNR) or other advanced directions to guide healthcare decision-making if a person is unable to make or express decisions on his or her own behalf.

Guardianship (or Conservatorship) - court-appointed person designated to act for someone who has been declared incompetent. The guardian may or may not be a family member.

Power of Attorney - authorization for one person to act in the place of another, may be triggered by loss of competency of the elderly person, or may be valid even if the other person is still competent. Used to make decisions or sign documents related to property or financial affairs.

Note that this information varies GREATLY in different locations, so look at Regional Law for information specific to a certain country or state. Also be careful about using "cookie cutter" or "fill in the blank" forms unless you are familiar with all the ramifications of the decisions you are making. Unforeseen problems sometimes occur, especially if more than one legal jurisdiction is involved. It is very helpful to get good legal advice in making these decisions.

Advance Directives - include healthcare power of attorney or proxy, living will, Do Not Recessitate (DNR) or other advanced directions to guide healthcare decision-making if a person is unable to make or express decisions on his or her own behalf.

Guardianship (or Conservatorship) - court-appointed person designated to act for someone who has been declared incompetent. The guardian may or may not be a family member.

Power of Attorney - authorization for one person to act in the place of another, may be triggered by loss of competency of the elderly person, or may be valid even if the other person is still competent. Used to make decisions or sign documents related to property or financial affairs.

Note that this information varies GREATLY in different locations, so look at Regional Law for information specific to a certain country or state. Also be careful about using "cookie cutter" or "fill in the blank" forms unless you are familiar with all the ramifications of the decisions you are making. Unforeseen problems sometimes occur, especially if more than one legal jurisdiction is involved. It is very helpful to get good legal advice in making these decisions.