Choose a Health-Care Decision Maker in Livermore

Choose someone who can understand and communicate your wishes

Start by identifying the person you would want designated to make health-care decisions. A close relationship may matter to you, but it is also useful to consider whether you can speak openly with the person about your priorities and whether they would be willing to discuss those priorities with others.

As an optional preparation step, consider having a conversation with the person before deciding. You might explain what you want them to understand, ask how comfortable they feel with the responsibility, and notice whether you can talk candidly about difficult subjects. These are personal considerations to help you make a choice; they are not legal qualifications for an agent.

• Can you discuss your priorities comfortably with this person?
• Would they be willing to communicate with you and others about your wishes?
• What concerns or questions would you want to address before naming them?

Consider whether to name an alternate

If you are considering an alternate, treat that as a question to resolve in your planning conversation rather than assuming how the alternate would function. Ask what options are available for identifying another person, how the appointment would describe that choice, and what circumstances you have in mind.

You can also consider whether there is another person you would want to discuss your health-care priorities with. If you have more than one candidate, think about the qualities you value in each and whether each person understands what you want communicated. Bring any uncertainty about the role or arrangement to the discussion before deciding.

Discuss the appointment and treatment preferences as separate topics

A health-care directive can designate an agent for health-care decisions. Separately, you may have questions about how to communicate your treatment preferences. Keeping these topics distinct in your preparation can help you explain what you want to address without assuming that choosing an agent resolves every question about preferences.

Consider noting the preferences you want to discuss and the questions you have about expressing them. For medical recommendations or decisions about treatment, consult an appropriate health-care professional. The planning conversation can focus on whom you want designated and what you want that person to understand.

Keep health-care and financial authority distinct

Health-care authority and financial authority serve different purposes. Do not assume that choosing someone for health-care decisions also addresses who you want involved in financial matters. If you are considering both, make a separate note of the person or people you want to discuss for each purpose.

Questions about the intended scope of the health-care appointment are worth raising directly. For example, ask what authority the appointment would give the person you designate and how to describe your intended choice. The available facts establish the distinction between health-care and financial authority, but do not specify the detailed limits of a particular appointment.

Prepare for a focused conversation

Before a planning discussion, you may want to write down your preferred person, any alternate you are considering, and the questions you want answered about the appointment. You can also list what you want the person to understand and keep treatment-preference questions separate from questions about selecting an agent. These are optional ways to organize your thoughts.

Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. serves Livermore clients virtually from its Novato office. A practical next step is to identify the choices you have already made and the points you are unsure about, then raise both in a planning conversation.