Medical Documents

Sometimes referred to as a healthcare power of attorney, this is a document that appoints a healthcare representative who can make medical decisions on your behalf when you cannot make your own decisions. Your healthcare representative should be somebody you trust who understands your wishes regarding healthcare preferences so that they can take those preferences into account when making decisions on your behalf. You should discuss your healthcare preferences with your healthcare representative periodically to ensure they know what your current preferences are.

Everyone has probably heard of a living will (also known as an advance directives), but did you know they are not just meant for older adults? These documents include written instructions regarding preferences for end-of-life care if you are unable to make your own decisions at that time. Because of the uncertainty of life, you should have a living will/advance directives in place to help caregivers plan the appropriate course of action based on your wishes.

The HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) refers to patients’ privacy over their personal health information. While protecting your medical records is important, you may want to release this information to an authorized person you trust (like your medical power of attorney) so he/she can be more in tune with your health situation when having to make medical decisions.