Choosing a Health-Care Decision Maker in San Anselmo

Start by comparing the documents you already have

Gather any current health-care directive, written treatment preferences, and documents that name someone to handle financial matters. The first question is not simply whether you need another form. It is what each document is intended to do and whether the people and instructions still reflect your wishes.

A health-care directive can designate an agent for health-care decisions. Financial authority and health-care authority serve different purposes, so a person named for financial matters should not be assumed to be your health-care decision maker. Comparing the documents side by side can help identify whether you are considering a change to the decision-maker appointment, your written preferences, or both.

• Which document names the person you want to make health-care decisions?
• Do your written treatment preferences still express what you want communicated?
• Are you treating a financial appointment as though it also covers health care?

Choose an agent and consider alternates

Think about the person you would want to speak for you in health-care decisions, and whether you want to identify an alternate. Consider whether the person understands your priorities, can communicate with you and the people involved in your care, and is willing to take on the role. These are practical questions for your decision, not legal tests.

Discuss what you would want the person to understand about your preferences and how you would like them to communicate with others. You can also consider how you would handle a change in circumstances—for example, if your first-choice person were unavailable. An alternate is worth considering as a planning choice; do not assume that a financial appointee automatically fills that role.

• Who is your first choice, and who might be an alternate?
• Have you discussed your priorities and communication expectations with each person?
• Would your choice still make sense if your circumstances or relationships changed?

Keep the appointment separate from treatment preferences

Naming a health-care agent and expressing treatment preferences address different planning questions: who you want to make health-care decisions, and what you want others to know about your treatment choices. Consider whether the appointment and your written preferences are consistent, and whether either needs attention.

This page focuses on selecting and communicating with a decision maker, not on recommending medical care or telling you what treatment to choose. If you want to revise treatment preferences, consider those separately from the appointment decision. A person’s role as agent does not, by itself, tell you what preferences to record.

• What would you want your agent to understand about your wishes?
• Are there preferences you want to express in writing, separately from naming an agent?
• Would the people you chose know where to find the relevant documents?

Prepare for a focused planning discussion

Before discussing a possible change, collect the documents you want compared and make a short list of questions. Note who is currently named, who you are considering instead, and whether you are also reviewing written treatment preferences. This preparation can make it easier to identify the decision you are actually trying to make without confusing health-care and financial authority.

Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. has one in-person office at 802 Grant Ave, Novato, California, and provides virtual services throughout California, including San Anselmo. A useful next step is to bring your existing documents and questions to a planning conversation focused on the decision-maker appointment and how it relates to your preferences.