DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR
HEALTH CARE
A health care power of
attorney (oftentimes called an
"advance directive") is a
document in which you name
someone else as your "agent" to
make health care decisions for
you if, in the future, you
cannot speak for yourself.
If you cannot make or
communicate medical, health
care, and personal care
decisions because of a temporary
or permanent illness or injury,
with a health care power of
attorney you can keep control
over health care decisions that
are important to you because you
state your wishes about any
aspect of your health care and
choose a person to make and
communicate those decisions for
you.
Appointing your agent to make
health care decisions is
particularly important. At the
time a medical decision needs to
be made, your agent can
participate in discussions and
weigh the pros and cons of
treatment decisions based on
your wishes. Your agent can
decide for you whenever you
cannot decide for yourself, even
if your decision-making ability
is only temporarily affected.
Unless you formally appoint
someone to make health care
decisions for you, many health
care providers and institutions
will make critical decisions for
you that might not be based on
your wishes. In some situations,
a Court might have to appoint a
guardian for you unless you have
stated your wishes in advance
and named someone to act for
you.
Chapter 144B of the Code of
Iowa specifically provides for
the use of durable powers of
attorney for health care, and
sets out the requirements for
the document establishing the
power of attorney. The law
specifically describes the
document as one "authorizing an
attorney-in-fact to make health
care decisions for the principal
if the principal is unable, in
the judgment of the attending
physician, to make health care
decisions."
A health care power of
attorney can relieve family
stress. By expressing your
wishes in advance, you help
family or friends who might
otherwise struggle to decide on
their own what you would want
done.
-- January 2, 2002.
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