Is A Health Care Power Of Attorney The Same As A Living Will?

An advance directive in health care primarily comes in two different forms, a living will and a power of attorney. These are written instructions for people that help them to clarify what type of health care they do or do not want, if any situation renders them unable to make the decision themselves.

To fully understand the difference between living will vs power of attorney, it is important to look at each type in detail.

What Is A Notary Public

A notary public, is someone who has been appointed by a government authority to officially witness signatures on legal documents, collect sworn statements and also administer oaths. To verify their presence at the time the documents were signed, they use a seal  that has a unique identifying number issued by certain states. The powers of a notary public usually vary from state to state, and so do the requirements for becoming one.

Here are a few things a notary public can and cannot do:

Why Everyone Should Have A Living Will

A living will is a legal document that contains specific instructions regarding the life-sustaining treatment you wish to undergo in case you enter a terminal condition where you are unable to make decisions for yourself.

This medical directive contains a statement as per your wishes regarding the use of technology to sustain life when there is little or no possibility of recovering.

A living will may also appoint another person to make these decisions on your behalf, and should not be confused with a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR).

Is Your Will Up To Date?

A lot of people spend a great deal of time, energy and money to have their legal documents ready, only to stash them away once they have signed them. A will  usually has a similar fate. This is, obviously, due to the fact that it is hard to envision one’s passing away – and this reason is which makes the whole process grueling enough.

However, the importance of these documents cannot be undermined by personal feelings, and it is necessary to keep a will up-to-date. It is true that situations and circumstances continuously change. Your will should also change accordingly to match these changes.

Here are the things you need to consider when amending your will.

What Is A Durable Power Of Attorney?

One of the most common questions we’re asked is, “what is a durable power of attorney?”. By definition, the durable power of attorney’s job is to cover requirements regarding general, special and health care. However, there is also a durability clause within this kind of attorney. There are various reasons due to which people prefer adding a durability clause while filling a form for power of attorney. When a power of attorney has a durability clause, if you become incompetent or disabled mentally and as a result fail to look after your affairs, then there is no effect to the durable power of attorney thanks to the durability clause.

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