Last week I received a telephone call from an adult daughter who was in town from Atlanta as her mother had had a mini stroke and was in the hospital. The daughter was seeking to obtain a copy of her mother’s Healthcare Power of Attorney, aka Health Care Proxy. (This is the legal document where you authorize someone to approve medical treatment on your behalf, if you are unable to.)
Make a Folder
One client told me that she had made a copy of her Healthcare Power of Attorney, aka Health Care Proxy, her Health Care Designation, aka HIPAA (those authorized to receive medical information), and Living Will and placed them in a folder entitled “Mom & Dad’s Health Care”.
The client said, “If I just send her a copy of these in an envelope, she would have just thrown them in a stack. I’ve seen that stack and it just grows over time. If I make it easy for her by putting the Health Care Powers for my husband and I in a file folder, two-hole punched and pinned down, she can just stick it in her file cabinet. Then she will be able to pull it out if needed. I want to make it as easy as possible for my daughter to help me.”
Summary – Make It Easier
My client’s idea was and is terrific. Make it easier for your Helpers to Help you. One way is to make a folder with copies of your Health Care Authorities for you, or you and your spouse. Label it and provide that folder to your adult child or friend who has the legal authority to help handle your medical affairs. It puts them in a position where they can go and open a file cabinet and pull out a file to be in a position to help you quickly.
At the Law Firm of Steven Andrew Jackson, Attorney and Counsellor at Law, we have helped hundreds of families protect themselves and their loved ones, avoid Estate Taxes and Probate Costs, and keep their Estate Plans current with the law through The Customized Protective Estate Planning Solution™.