Unfortunately it’s inevitable for bad things to happen. Fortunately it’s possible to take precautions to make bad situations easier to manage. Legal attorney Dean Patrick can help grant a little peace of mind. If something happens to you leaving you unable to make decisions for yourself, you will need an Advocate to handle the decision making for you. Our legal assistance can make this process much easier.
Durable Power of Attorney for Mental Health Care
The Durable Power of Attorney for Mental Health Care is a legal document that gives someone of your choice (your advocate) the right to handle your mental health care decisions if you become incapacitated. You don’t give up control while you have the ability to decide for yourself.
For estate planning purposes, we use this legal document to:
- Assure someone you trust, not a court appointed guardian, is appointed to handle your health care and end of life decisions.
- Keep you, and your loved ones, out of the living probate system.
- Keep your financial and mental health care affairs private.
How to Choose the Right Advocate
An advocate nominated to handle your mental health care decisions has a real responsibility that comes with an emotional burden. You need someone in place that can handle this responsibility. It should be somebody you can trust, that will have your best interests in mind. Generally a spouse is a good choice, but if you are unmarried, children or other close family are usually best suited to handle the responsibility.
Some important attributes of a good advocate candidate include:
- Trustworthiness.
- Previous experience making health care and mental health care decisions.
- Nursing or medical background.
- Emotionally able to handle and advocate medical and end of life decisions.
- Easy to communicate with as necessary.
- Close proximity to your location is critical so that the advocate can be by your side as necessary.
What is most important is that your advocate be the best choice to take care of you when something goes wrong. This process is not about making people feel equal. It is about assuring your wishes are followed when you no longer have a say in the matter. It is a difficult decision, but it must be made.
Find Out More About Power of Attorney Services at These Links:
- Power of Attorney FAQ
- Power of Attorney Finance
- Power of Attorney Physical Health
- Power of Attorney Stories
Contact our Southfield, Michigan office at (248) 663-2566 or click here to arrange your consultation initial consultation regarding any mental health power of attorney matters.
