Choose a Health-Care Decision Maker in La Verne

Choose for the responsibility, not just the relationship

A health-care directive can designate an agent for health-care decisions. Choosing whom to designate means considering who you trust to take on that responsibility and communicate with you about decisions concerning your care. The choice is personal; the practical questions below can help you think it through.

Consider whether a potential agent listens carefully, understands what matters to you, and is willing to discuss difficult subjects. Think about how you communicate with one another and whether you could speak candidly about your priorities. These are questions to guide your choice, not legal qualifications.

You may also want to consider what you would do if your first-choice person were unavailable or unable to take on the role. Ask whether your planning can address that concern and what options are available. Do not assume that a particular backup arrangement is included without discussing it.

• Who would listen to you and communicate your priorities clearly?
• Would that person be willing to take on the responsibility?
• What would you want to happen if your preferred person could not serve?

Clarify what the agent role does—and does not—answer

The health-care agent role concerns health-care decisions. It does not, by itself, answer who should handle financial matters: health-care authority and financial authority serve different purposes. If you are considering both responsibilities, treat them as separate choices and ask which planning step addresses each one.

It can be useful to think through the responsibilities separately even if you are considering the same person for both. A person you trust to discuss health-care decisions may or may not be the person you would choose for financial matters. The important point is to make each choice deliberately rather than assume one appointment covers both areas.

For a focused discussion, write down the decisions or situations you are concerned about and ask what authority the proposed health-care agent would have in that context. If you have questions about responsibilities beyond health care, identify those separately rather than expecting the health-care appointment to answer them.

• Which responsibilities are specifically about health-care decisions?
• Are you also considering a separate person for financial authority?
• What questions remain about the scope of each role?

Keep the agent choice distinct from treatment preferences

Naming an agent and recording treatment preferences address different planning questions. A health-care directive can designate an agent for health-care decisions; the agent appointment is not the same thing as setting out written treatment preferences. Consider both questions separately so that choosing a decision maker does not leave you assuming that your preferences have also been expressed.

You can prepare by listing the priorities you want a prospective agent to understand and noting any treatment-preference questions you want to address separately. This list is simply a conversation aid. It is not a substitute for deciding whether or how you want to record preferences in writing.

If you already have ideas about treatment preferences, consider how you want to communicate them to the person you may choose. If your main concern is what to put in writing, make that a separate topic for discussion rather than treating the agent-selection question as an answer.

• What personal priorities do you want a potential agent to understand?
• Do you also want to address treatment preferences in writing?
• Which questions concern choosing a decision maker, and which concern your preferences?

Prepare for a focused planning conversation

Before a conversation, you may find it helpful to write down your preferred person, any concerns about their willingness to take on the role, and the topics you want to discuss with them. If you are considering another person as a possible backup, note that question too. You can also bring a separate list of financial-authority questions so the two responsibilities remain clear.

A useful next step is to discuss whom you are considering, what you want that person to understand, and which questions remain open about the agent’s role. Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. provides virtual services throughout California from its Novato office. A planning discussion can help you distinguish the health-care decision-maker choice from written treatment preferences and any separate financial-authority question.