No one expects a serious illness to strike or to sustain a severe injury in a vehicle crash, but there are estate planning tools that provide help in such situations.
Durable powers of attorney (POA) for healthcare enable you to designate an agent to act on your behalf if you should become incapacitated.
The medical POA
Also known as the healthcare POA, the medical POA allows your agents to make medical decisions on your behalf in the event you are unable to do so. If you should become incapacitated and incapable of making your own decisions, your agent is authorized to make decisions concerning your medical care.
The proactive approach
Since aging sometimes brings some form of dementia, it is wise to prepare your powers of attorney as soon as possible. Keep in mind that as the principal, you must be mentally competent in order to sign a valid POA.