Estate planning isn’t just about designating who will inherit your assets after you’re gone. It can also let you plan as much as possible for a time when you may not be able to care for or even speak for yourself.
One of the most important documents in your estate plan is your South Carolina Health Care Power of Attorney. This lets you designate things like under what conditions you want feeding tubes and other life-prolonging measures continued if you aren’t going to survive or regain consciousness.
It also lets you designate a health care agent who will have power of attorney (POA) to make decisions on your behalf regarding treatments, medications and procedures. By providing details about your wishes for end-of-life care, they can better advocate for those wishes.
What questions should you consider?
You can limit their authority as you choose, but it’s important to have someone you trust in this role because you can’t predict what decisions they might be called upon to make. Here are a few things you should carefully consider before asking someone to potentially take on this responsibility:
Do they know you well enough to understand your values and religious beliefs?
Can they consume and understand a lot of information that may be coming at them quickly and make sound decisions based on that information?
Can they stand up to authority and strong personalities who may be pressuring them to do something you wouldn’t want?
Do they live nearby or will they at least be able to make themselves available if necessary?
As noted, you should ensure that the person you choose to be your health care agent (and any alternates) fully understands what you’re asking them to potentially do and are agreeable to it. It’s best to let them read your completed document and give them time to think about it. They should also have a copy of it or at least know where to locate it.
Your South Carolina Health Care Power of Attorney is just one of many critical documents that make up a thorough estate plan. By having experienced estate planning guidance, you can help ensure that these documents and thoughtfully prepared, legally valid and kept current.
