Can I Get A Health Care Proxy At Staples? - Fixanswer

A health care agent also may be called a health care proxy or surrogate or an attorney-in-fact

. State laws vary regarding the specific types of decisions health care agents can make. In general, a health care agent can agree to or refuse treatment and can withdraw treatment on your behalf.

Is your spouse automatically your health care proxy?

spouse may automatically become your legal proxy

. If you think your spouse might find it too difficult to make decisions such as starting or ending treatments if you were seriously ill, it's probably a good idea to choose someone else as your proxy.

What is the difference between a health care proxy and a living will?

A healthcare proxy and a living will both have the same purpose: to see that your medical wishes are expressed and honored, even when you can't do so yourself.

You give a medical proxy the authority to make those decisions for you, while a living will sets those wishes out in writing

.

Is health care proxy the same as advance directive?

Advance care planning documents are called “advance directives.” The living will and health care proxy are the two most common types

. A health care proxy is a legal document that lets you choose another adult whom you trust to make your medical decisions for you if you are unable to speak or communicate your wishes.

What happens in Massachusetts if you don't have a health care proxy?

If you become unable to make your own health care decisions,

your doctor or the court will want to act according to your wishes

—whether they come from your Agent by means of a Proxy, or because you took the time to write them down yourself.

Who can witness a Massachusetts health care proxy?

Witness Statement and Signature (Required)

Any competent adult can be a witness except your Health Care Agent and Alternate Agent

. Two adults must be present as witnesses when this document is signed.

Who can activate a healthcare proxy in Massachusetts?

Under the Health Care Proxy Law (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 201D),

any competent adult 18 years of age or over

may use this form to appoint a Health Care Agent.

How do I choose a proxy?

1 . DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF PROXY YOU NEED. …
CHOOSE A RELIABLE SELLER. …
CONSIDER THE PRICE. …
CHECK OUT USER REVIEWS. …
TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROXY PROVIDER'S DASHBOARD.

Who makes decisions if no power of attorney?

If you have not given someone authority to make decisions under a power of attorney, then decisions about your health, care and living arrangements will be made by

your care professional, the doctor or social worker who is in charge of your treatment or care

.

Can my wife make medical decisions for me?

Yes.

If you and your spouse are informally or legally separated, the spouse may still be able to make medical decisions on your behalf prior to your divorce

. There is no case law on this issue. If you file a health care directive, the hospital must comply with your wishes.

What is the difference between POA and health care proxy?

A health care proxy has the authority to make medical decisions and a power of attorney has the authority to make financial decisions

. So while a health care proxy may choose a senior living community, the power of attorney must release the funds to pay for it.

Does health care proxy need to be notarized in NY?

You do not need to have the form notarized

. The standard Health Care Proxy form approved under New York law has sections that must be completed for your proxy to be valid. The form also has “optional” sections that you may or may not choose to complete.

What do you put in a healthcare proxy?

Personal attitudes toward health, illness, death, and dying.
Medical treatment preferences, such as feelings about palliative (comfort) care, life-sustaining care (like artificial hydration and nutrition), and treatments you may need in the event you are unconscious.

Can a family member override a healthcare proxy?

Also, no matter what choices you have written on paper,

your Health Care Proxy can override any decision

and can make choices without regard to any other family member, friend, or medical provider's opinion.

Can a spouse override a healthcare proxy?

By River Braun, J.D. As long as you are mentally competent when you created a medical power of attorney (POA) and followed state laws regarding the content and execution of the document, no one, not even your spouse, has the right to overrule your choices.

Can a doctor override an advance directive?

Abstract.

Health professionals have been known to override patients' advance directives

. The most ethically problematic instances involve a directive's explicitly forbidding the administration of some life-prolonging treatment like resuscitation or intubation with artificial ventilation.

Are AHDs the same in every state?

Every state has its own laws regarding AHDs

. Not all states recognize AHDs from another state. In some cases, if the laws are similar, a state will accept the AHDs. Knowing state-specific statutes is important for all healthcare professionals.

Is your spouse automatically your Health Care Proxy in Massachusetts?

You appoint an Agent in a legal document called a Health Care Proxy. In Massachusetts,

a spouse, family or friend does not automatically have the legal authority to make health decisions on your behalf unless appointed in a Health Care Proxy

.

Can you decline being a Health Care Proxy?

Should you change your mind about your health care treatment or end of life decisions or your choice of health care proxy,

you can simply destroy the documents you have and create new ones

. Once you have a living will, health care proxy, or advance health care directive, you should keep it among your important papers.

What decisions can a Health Care Proxy make?

Be given first priority to visit you in the hospital;
Receive your personal property recovered by any hospital or police agency at the time of your incapacitation; and.
Authorize medical treatment and surgical procedures.

Is Living Will legal in Massachusetts?

No. Massachusetts is one of only a handful of states that do not allow legally binding living wills

. If you write a living will in Massachusetts, your doctors are not legally obligated to follow your wishes. However, a living will can help health care providers and the courts make decisions about your medical care.

What does it mean to invoke a health care proxy?

A health care proxy

designates an individual, often a family member, to legally make medical decisions for another

. It can only be activated when a doctor declares the person incompetent.