Estate planning includes preparing for incapacitation. Anything might happen to you, making you unable to manage your affairs or make decisions for yourself. And one of those decisions is medical.
An estate plan allows you to plan for such a possibility. Using a living will, you will outline your medical wishes regarding life-prolonging procedures. This includes instructions on the procedures that your physicians should provide, withhold or withdraw. You will then name a health care surrogate using the Designation of Health Care Surrogate document.
Your chosen surrogate will make medical decisions on your behalf. It’s important to choose a suitable party, given the sensitivity of the role they will assume. Here are four qualities to look out for:
Trustworthiness
Name someone you trust will follow your wishes and make decisions in your best interest. Note that you will also be granting the party access to your protected health information. Thus, trust is crucial.
Assertiveness
It helps to choose someone assertive. Someone who can ask doctors difficult questions, obtain more information about matters, handle conflicting opinions from family members and health care providers and speak up when instructions are not followed.
Calmness
If someone you know is always calm under stress and makes informed decisions fast, they possess one of the best qualities of a health care surrogate. Your chosen party will be required to make decisions during medical emergencies. You don’t want to name someone who will panic and delay making crucial decisions.
Proximity
Choosing someone who lives near you ensures they act fast during emergencies and makes it easier to have in-person meetings. Nonetheless, if a suitable party lives far away, you can make arrangements for travelling on short notice.
A health care surrogate plays a crucial role in your life. Learn more about identifying someone who will serve as expected.