Crafting A Healthcare Proxy In New York
A healthcare proxy is a document naming a chosen person, who then has authority to act for you if you lose the ability to communicate your wishes when it comes to healthcare. While these are most useful for people who are older or who have chronic conditions, anyone in Putnam County may benefit from having one ready in the event of an accident. While creating a simple one takes little time, it is generally better to have an attorney help craft yours, to ensure that no detail is missed.
Why Bother?
Some, particularly young and healthy people, may decide it is not worth it to draw up this document. However, there are two clear reasons why having one can help you and yours in times of emergency. The most important one, as one might imagine, is that with a healthcare proxy, your wishes are clearly conveyed, with little or no room for misinterpretation or error. If you are having a health crisis, the last thing you want to be doing is worrying about your preferences on care.
Another reason to have a healthcare proxy in place is to protect your family and loved ones. If something happens to a person who has no documents in place, families will often disagree and fight – sometimes in court – about who may have the authority to act for the incapacitated individual. This can actually delay necessary medical care in extreme cases.
How To Do It?
The actual process of executing a healthcare proxy is easy, but it is important to consult an attorney when doing so. New York’s Department of Health has a form that a person completes, and once it is executed to that person’s satisfaction, all they need do is have it witnessed, in the way one would a will, and distribute copies to the relevant players – for example, a spouse, a person’s general practitioner (GP), and the agent you choose.
Be advised that there are few restrictions on who you may choose to be your agent, but one to keep in mind is that you cannot choose any of your treating doctors. The reason is that a person’s healthcare agent has duties that may conflict with the duties that medical professionals are tasked to perform. In general, anyone over age 18 that you trust can be an agent, but medical ethics exclude doctors in this position.
Contact A Pleasantville Estate Planning Attorney
No one wants to think about being incapacitated one day, but it is important to be prepared if that frightening event ever comes to pass. A healthcare proxy can ease both your mind and those of your family. A Pleasantville estate planning attorney from Meyer & Spencer, PC can help you execute the documents you need. Call our office today to schedule a consultation.
