Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney and Healthcare

Treatment Instructions (Living Will) for Your Power of Attorney

Unfortunately, none of us are invincible. You may become ill or be involved in an accident that can impair your ability to make healthcare decisions on your own. Planning for your future healthcare wishes while you are young and healthy ensures that medical decisions made by your loved ones are carried out according to your wishes. Attorney James A. Ritter has the skills and experience obtained by over 40 years of study, training, and practice to help you or your family member legally prepare this document in which you appoint a Power of Attorney for Healthcare and develop a Living Will which details your healthcare treatment instructions.

Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney

If you become incapacitated whereby you cannot make or communicate medical decisions for yourself, appointing a trusted person as your Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney allows that person to make medical decision on your behalf. Attorney James A. Ritter will assist you in making the very personal decision to establish this legal document appointing your healthcare power of attorney, otherwise known as your agent.

Healthcare Power of Attorney:

• Authorizes a healthcare provider or other covered entity to disclose to your healthcare agent, upon your agent’s request, any information, oral or written, regarding your physical or mental health, including, but not limited to, medical and hospital records and what is otherwise private, privileged, protected or personal health information, such as health information as defined and described in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.
• Grants authority to your healthcare agent to make medical decisions on your behalf when you lack the ability to understand, make, or communicate medical decisions on your own. These medical decisions can include surgical procedures, hiring and firing of medical professionals, appointing social service or other support personnel responsible for your care, and authorizing your admission or discharge from a medical, nursing, residential or similar facility.

Living Will – Healthcare Treatment Instructions

A Living Will is a legal document which describes the life-sustaining treatment you wish to have in the event of an irreversible coma or an irreversible vegetative state in which there is no realistic hope of significant recovery. Your Healthcare Power of Attorney or medical professionals will use your Living Will as a guide in order to direct the course of care that you specified.

Organ Donation

When preparing this document with Attorney James A. Ritter, you can decide whether or not to donate your organs and tissues at the time of death for the purpose of transplant, medical study or education. This document also specifies any limitations you desire on a donation of specific organs or tissues or uses for a donation of organs and tissues.

Help your loved ones feel confident that they are making decisions in your best interest.

Attorney James A. Ritter can provide the experience and guidance that you will need to prepare this document which involves many personal decisions regarding your wishes in the event that you are unable to make medical decisions for yourself and avoid the necessity of a Guardianship Proceeding whereby a Judge appoints a Guardian of the Person to make your medical decisions.