Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care

[sylvar]

I've been reading a bit of Suze Orman's new The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke, and the online content is really amazing. After I filled out a questionnaire, I was told that the first thing I should do is set up a durable power of attorney for health care -- and then I got to set up a printable form that I'm going to go get notarized. I'll do the same for Jodi if she wants. (She's my #1 choice for health care decisions, followed by my mom and my dad.)

I hadn't even thought about setting this up, and her site made it really easy.

So if you care what happens to you if you're unable to make your own health care decisions, for crying out loud, GO SET UP A DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE. You don't want to become the next Terri Schiavo, do you?

You don't even have to buy the book, really -- just look at page 17 in a bookstore or library to get the code. But you might find it a pretty good investment anyway.

I'm curious: how many of my friends already had a durable power of attorney for health care? How many of you have gone out and done this because I reminded you that it's a good idea? And how many of you will let lawyers and priests argue over what you might actually want?

Comments

[loucheroo.livejournal.com]

I haven't got that... but everyone knows waht my desires are *shrug*

[ximinez]

The good news is that a marriage license does the same thing automatically. The bad news, as in the case of Schiavo, is that if your parents are bullheaded assholes, and they are able to hire some bullheaded asshole attorneys, no marriage license, power of attorney or anything else is going to prevent you from being a vegetable for 10 years while the courts keep trying to make them go away....

[songdancer.livejournal.com]

Not entirely. Dad's marriage license didn't give him all the power of attorney he needed, and they'd been married for over 15 years.

[ximinez]

Oh. Damn.

[songdancer.livejournal.com]

My dad found out the hard way why you need one, since his wife *is* in Terri Shiavo state right now. He said it is like $75 to take care of it before something bad happens, and multiple thousands of $$ afterwards.

Thanks for the link! I have been planning to look up the info., but hadn't gotten around to it yet (darn those round tuits!)...I also didn't realize Suzie had her own site, so I must go and explore now....

[meandering.livejournal.com]

My father does this all the time for his clients, along with the wills and such. He's offered to get me set-up for free. I need to pester him about that.