What Options do you have for your End of Life Decisions Related to your Health Care
It's heartrending, but there are times when a person by way ageing may be incapacitated and be unable to make the very basic and major decisions, even decisions which relate to the person's health issues. This situation gives way to the all important question, "Who is going to take those decisions for the incapacitated person?"
This calls for a very important decision on the part of the incapacitated person, which is, to appoint a person as his agent to take decisions on his behalf, which otherwise he could have taken legally.
Advance Medical Directive Virginia
An advance health care directive through the office of the Virginia Department of Ageing and Rehabilitation enables you to state what you want done regarding your medical care when you cannot make such decisions on your own, such as to:
Virginia Durable Power of Attorney
The durable power of attorney is basically the power you delegate to your agent, usually a trusted family member or a friend, to act on your behalf in making decisions in case you are incapable of making them on your own. The decisions which your agent can make on your behalf can range from managing your finances, health care decisions and any other business decision during your incapacitation.
In Virginia, the durable power of attorney can be general or limited. You can authorize your agent to make all legal decisions, you yourself would have made normally creating a general durable power of attorney.
Or you could restrict your agent just to the decisions related to your health care by creating a limited or a durable power of attorney for health care.
You have to be careful when you chose your agent, as your agent would be the one in direct contact with your physicians directing them the course of treatment which you recommended or would have opted for. Here it is important that your agent be readily available at all time when there is a need for giving a direction related to your medical care. You can also appoint a second agent just in case the first one is unavailable or needs assistance making an important decision.
This calls for a very important decision on the part of the incapacitated person, which is, to appoint a person as his agent to take decisions on his behalf, which otherwise he could have taken legally.
Advance Medical Directive Virginia
An advance health care directive through the office of the Virginia Department of Ageing and Rehabilitation enables you to state what you want done regarding your medical care when you cannot make such decisions on your own, such as to:
- Give your consent regarding administration of a particular type of health care treatment.
- Disapprove any particular type of health care treatment or,
- Appoint an agent who can make decisions on your behalf in case you are incapable of making such decisions on your own.
Virginia Durable Power of Attorney
The durable power of attorney is basically the power you delegate to your agent, usually a trusted family member or a friend, to act on your behalf in making decisions in case you are incapable of making them on your own. The decisions which your agent can make on your behalf can range from managing your finances, health care decisions and any other business decision during your incapacitation.
In Virginia, the durable power of attorney can be general or limited. You can authorize your agent to make all legal decisions, you yourself would have made normally creating a general durable power of attorney.
Or you could restrict your agent just to the decisions related to your health care by creating a limited or a durable power of attorney for health care.
You have to be careful when you chose your agent, as your agent would be the one in direct contact with your physicians directing them the course of treatment which you recommended or would have opted for. Here it is important that your agent be readily available at all time when there is a need for giving a direction related to your medical care. You can also appoint a second agent just in case the first one is unavailable or needs assistance making an important decision.
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