If you’re involved in an accident or are unable to take charge of your medical care, the right legal documents are a must. Fail to write down your wishes in terms of medical treatment and someone to oversee your care, and such matters can land up in the hands of judges or estranged family members.
As a result, you might not receive the care you prefer.
Choosing a Healthcare Surrogate
Anyone 18 years or older can be appointed as your healthcare surrogate. They should agree to act on your behalf before completing your advance directive. You might want to consider choosing a second person, too, just in case your first choice can’t make decisions on your behalf.
Then, you need to implement health care surrogate designations. This is a legal document that states who you choose as your surrogate if you are no longer able to handle or make medical care decisions. The document provides the surrogate with legal authority to converse with your doctors and manage your medical decisions for you when you cannot.
Healthcare Surrogate Documentation
If you’d like, you can create a designation allowing your surrogate to act on your behalf even if you don’t become incapacitated. This is especially handy for caregivers of a loved one with a chronic illness who can still choose their treatment. It’s also handy if a loved one is heavily medicated and finds it difficult to talk to their medical team. If you’re facing surgery and a long recovery or undergoing a long-term health issue, this could be the right choice for you.
Regardless of what type of surrogate designation you choose, you should finalize the documentation as soon as possible. Don’t leave it to fate as to what could happen if something unexpected occurs. While we all hope for a healthy and long life, catastrophes can and do happen to anyone.
What’s more, tragedies are made worse when we’re left to guess what the patient would want in terms of medical care, or when loved ones argue over how to best help their family member.
The good news is that healthcare surrogate designation documents are easy enough to understand and can be filled out effortlessly. However, it’s best to consult a knowledgeable attorney who will ensure you have all the necessary details covered.
Anyone 18 years and older should have such documentation, from a college student to a grandparent, and everyone in between.
Why You Need to Appoint a Healthcare Surrogate
When it comes to advanced medical directives, the health care surrogate designation is a very important document. Its purpose is to provide instructions on all aspects of your medical care. It may also include your living will.
The document provides the opportunity for you to appoint someone you trust – be it a family member, friend, or medical professional – to make health care decisions for you. It’s also your chance to decide ahead of time which medical treatments you do want and those you don’t wish to receive.
It’s a critical directive that we should all have in the event you become sick or are no longer able to make health care decisions for yourself. Your appointed healthcare surrogate will ensure that your medical wishes are granted.
Cessation of a Surrogate’s Duties
Your appointed healthcare surrogate’s authority ends when you revoke the designation or when you pass away. What’s more, it can end as decided by you and written in your healthcare surrogate designation document. If you appoint your spouse as your surrogate and you file for divorce, your spouse ceases to be your surrogate.
With the right legal advice and guidance, you can appoint the appropriate healthcare surrogate that you can trust to make medical decisions on your behalf and carry out your wishes.
Make sure your healthcare surrogate designation covers all the important aspects. Book an appointment with Principal Law Firm today.
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