A Healthcare Power of Attorney is a legal document in which you designate someone (known as your "agent" or "proxy") to make medical decisions on your behalf.

The Proxy only has authority to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to communicate your own decisions to others. This may be due to lack of consciousness as when you are in a coma, or it could be due to mental inability to make or communicate such decisions. Once you regain the ability to communicate, you also regain the power to make your own decisions.

A Healthcare Power of Attorney can be tailored to give your Proxy as little or as much authority as you choose. (If you want to severely restrict the choices of your Proxy, you may find a Living Will accomplishes your goals better than a Healthcare Power of Attorney).

A Proxy does not have any authority with respect to financial matters (except to incur costs for your treatment.)

A Healthcare Power of Attorney starts and ends when you want it to. It can be amended or revoked at any time.

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