Choose a Health-Care Decision Maker in Hawthorne

Start with the decision-making role

A health-care directive can designate an agent for health-care decisions. Choosing that person is different from writing down your preferences about treatment: the appointment identifies who may make decisions, while preferences communicate what matters to you. Consider both questions, but do not assume one answers the other.

Begin by asking whom you trust to listen, understand what you value, and communicate with others. Then consider whether the person would be able to take on the decision-making role in a difficult situation. These are personal planning questions, not a medical recommendation or a guarantee about how a future decision will unfold.

• Who would take your wishes seriously, including when those wishes are difficult to discuss?
• Who could communicate your views clearly to others involved in your care?
• Is there another person you would want considered if your first choice could not serve?

Discuss authority and communication

Before naming an agent, have a conversation about what the role means to you. Ask whether the person is willing to be considered and explain the values or concerns you would want them to keep in mind. You can also discuss how you hope they will communicate with people close to you. These conversations can help reveal whether your expectations and the proposed agent’s understanding are aligned.

A useful distinction is between being someone you trust and having authority to act in a particular area. Financial authority and health-care authority serve different purposes. A person who helps with one area should not be assumed to have authority in the other merely because of that relationship.

• Clarify whom you are considering for health-care decisions and whether you want to identify an alternate.
• Discuss how the person might learn what matters to you and communicate it.
• Separately identify any financial-authority questions rather than treating them as part of the health-care appointment.

Keep the agent appointment distinct from treatment preferences

Naming an agent and recording treatment preferences address related but different parts of planning. An agent is designated for health-care decisions; written preferences express your views about treatment. If you only choose a decision maker, that choice does not itself describe your preferences. If you only record preferences, that is not the same as designating an agent.

For example, someone might trust one person to communicate their wishes while also wanting to write down personal preferences for that person to understand. That example illustrates two separate planning questions; it does not prescribe a medical choice. Keep the conversation focused on your own values and on who you want to speak for you.

Prepare for a focused planning conversation

Before speaking with the firm, make a private list of the people you are considering, any alternate you may want to discuss, and questions about how the role differs from financial authority. You may also note topics or values you want to communicate to a prospective agent. These are preparation ideas, not legal prerequisites.

A focused next step is to discuss your proposed decision maker, communication expectations, and any uncertainty about the boundary between health-care and financial authority. The firm can help you consider those planning questions in the context of a California health-care directive. The decision about whom to name remains yours.