West Palm Beach Power of Attorney
At the law firm of Craig F. Snyder, P.A. we go beyond helping people create an estate plan and protect their assets. We also provide services for people who are concerned about their physical well-being while they are still alive. A health care power of attorney and living will (also called advance health care directive) can help ensure you and your personal medical matters are properly and timely cared for if you are incapacitated or otherwise cannot care for yourself.
Attorney Craig F. Snyder can help you draft a living will or appoint an agent and other representatives under a health care power of attorney as necessary. He will make sure you are fully informed of the powers and limits of these tools so you and your family can be fully prepared when situations arise for which these tools are designed to help. Contact our firm today to speak with Attorney Snyder about your needs.
Living Wills
Living wills provide direction as to the type and level of medical care someone should receive if he or she is suffering from an end-stage condition, persistent vegetative state, or a terminal illness leaving that person incapacitated to speak/act voluntarily for themselves, i.e., you cannot even “blink” your wishes to medical personnel. This may include direction on hooking someone to a ventilator, providing feeding tubes for food and water, and taking other aggressive measures to prolong someone's life. It is important to have a living will to avoid the burden on family members in making these difficult life-and death-decisions so as to preserve your right and dignity to be the person in control of your desired destiny under such circumstances.
Power of Attorney for Health Care
In Florida, persons may appoint an agent under a power of attorney to handle their medical affairs. A “Durable” Power of Attorney for Health Care is one that continues despite the incapacity of the power giver-the principal. The agent under a healthcare power of attorney may have the authority to carry out the living will, obtain medical information, or have other powers including those of “agents” referenced under specific laws such as “healthcare surrogates”, “HIPPA personal representatives”, and similar proxies or “pre-need fiduciaries”. The agent under a health care power of attorney can manage your physical and emotional health and well-being in times that have nothing to do with the “end of life” situations as customarily handled by a living will. If updates to your existing health care planning documents are advisable, or if a durable power of attorney for health care is missing from your current plan, Mr. Snyder will help you decide which powers should be granted to an agent to fit your situation.
Considering Health Care Powers of Attorney
Health Care Powers of Attorney can be granted to agent(s) to act on your behalf in regard to the following kinds of life-care issues to name a few:
- Sharing of medical information and HIPAA requirements
- Making “ordinary course” medical decisions and giving instructions for medical care
- Employ/discharge medical personnel
- Exercise privacy rights
- Grant releases
- Act as a proxy, surrogate, and HIPPA personal representative
- Provide for residence and companionship
- Administer anatomical gift desires
- Directing “end-of-life” health care decisions and/or communicating pre-instructed wishes
- “Pre-need” custodial care arrangements
- Instructions for priority visitation at your “bedside” during “health” events
A Compassionate Legal Team
We represent people creating a living will or a health care power of attorney, as well as the agents under these types of documents. We have experience with and an understanding of how powers of attorney are received in the commercial and medical worlds. Valerie B. Snyder is additionally a geriatric social worker by trade with hands-on institutional experiences in these matters and works closely with attorney Snyder and the clients to choose appropriate representatives and powers granted to them so as to prepare you for this aspect of life's uncertainties. As a team, they help ensure clients' wishes are clearly expressed and managed.
To discuss appointing agents under a power of attorney or creating a health care directive, contact our firm today to schedule an appointment.