What Types of Decisions Does the Healthcare Agent Make?
As your loved one’s healthcare agent, you’ll have the legal right to handle healthcare matters, including the right to: • Give or refuse consent to medial treatment • Hire or terminate doctors and health care staff • Have access to medical records • Take legal action to ensure your loved one’s living will is honored by medical staff • Have non-restricted hospital visitation If your parents or loved ones become incapacitated and do not have a durable power of attorney for healthcare, depending on where they live, the decisions concerning their medical care may bypass family members and go directly to the courts. This can be stressful, time-consuming, and costly – let alone the fact that final decisions may not coincide with the preferences of your parents. In some cases, medical staff will make the decisions.
Related Questions
- Can an agent for healthcare decisions override the patient’s wishes outlined on a POST that has been signed by the patient, but not by a physician?
- Can an agent for healthcare decisions override the patient’s wishes outlined on a POST which has been signed by the patient and a physician?
- What types of decisions can my Agent make under a Medical Power of Attorney?
