The attorneys at McLaughlin & Quinn’s Law For Life often hear stories about hospitals giving patients a health care proxy form to sign on being admitted. While it might seem easy to sign a generic health care proxy form, Attorney Jill E. Sugarman suggests that having a document specifically tailored to your needs is vital.
A health care proxy allows you to appoint someone else to act as your agent for medical decisions. In general, a health care proxy takes effect only when you require medical treatment and a physician determines that you are unable to communicate your wishes concerning what that treatment should be. Appointing someone to serve as your agent helps ensure that your medical treatment instructions will be carried out.