Choose a Health-Care Decision Maker in Delano

Decide who you would ask to speak for you

Start by identifying people you might trust with health-care decision-making. Then consider more than your relationship with each person: Would they listen to your priorities? Would they be comfortable communicating with others involved in your care? Would you feel able to explain your wishes to them in a direct conversation?

These questions are a way to assess your choice, not a legal test. A useful discussion with a potential agent can help you find out whether that person understands the role you have in mind and is willing to take it on. If you are not comfortable with a candidate, consider whether another person would be a better fit or whether you need more time to decide.

• Who would take your priorities seriously, even if a decision is difficult?
• Who can communicate in a way you trust?
• Is there another person you would want to consider if your first choice is unavailable?

Treat health-care and financial authority as separate choices

Health-care authority and financial authority serve different purposes. Choosing someone to address one role does not answer whom you want for the other. You may be considering the same person for both, or different people; either way, think through each appointment separately rather than assuming that one choice covers both.

As you consider a health-care agent, focus your questions on that role: what you want the person to understand, how you would like them to communicate, and what aspects of the intended authority you want clarified. If you are also considering financial authority, make that a separate planning question. Keeping the two roles distinct can help you explain your choices clearly.

• Which person are you considering for health-care decisions?
• Are you separately considering who should have financial authority?
• What questions about the intended scope of the health-care role remain?

Discuss alternates, communication, and limits

An alternate is a person you may want to discuss in case your preferred choice cannot serve. Before settling on names, consider whether each person understands your priorities and would be willing to communicate on your behalf. You can also think about who else you want the agent to keep informed and how you would like conversations about your wishes to happen.

Avoid relying on a title alone to resolve every practical question. If you are uncertain about what you want the agent to handle, note the specific issue and ask about it during a planning discussion. The central decision is whom you want to designate for health-care decisions; your questions about communication and authority help make that choice more considered.

• Who, if anyone, would you want to consider as an alternate?
• What information about your priorities should a prospective agent understand?
• Are there communication preferences or authority questions you want to discuss before deciding?

Keep your own treatment preferences in view

Selecting a person to designate and considering your own treatment preferences are different planning conversations. Choosing whom you want to speak for you does not, by itself, tell that person what preferences you want considered. If both topics matter to you, make room to discuss each one rather than treating the agent selection as a substitute for expressing your wishes.

As optional preparation, write down the people you are considering, possible alternates, and questions about communication and authority. Separately note any treatment-preference topics you want to discuss. These notes can organize a conversation; they are not a legal requirement. Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. provides virtual services throughout California from its Novato office.