Choosing a Health-Care Decision-Maker in La Habra

Choose for communication and trust

Start by considering who you would trust to communicate your views in health-care discussions. A close relationship may matter to you, but it is also useful to think about whether the person is willing to have difficult conversations, can listen carefully, and can explain your views to others.

These are personal considerations, not legal tests. You might make a short list of people you would feel comfortable asking, then consider what you would want each person to understand about your priorities. You can also think about whom you would not want to approach for this role. The goal is to identify the questions and preferences you want to discuss, rather than to assume that one choice will suit every situation.

• Who could listen to you and communicate your views clearly?
• Would you be comfortable asking this person to take part in difficult conversations?
• What would you want the person to understand about your priorities?

Discuss whether you want an alternate

You may want to raise the possibility of an alternate when discussing your plan. Consider whom you might ask, whether that person would be willing to have the conversation, and how you would want the people you are considering to understand your wishes. Ask how your choices and the roles available to them can be expressed in the planning document; do not assume that a particular arrangement is available or has a particular legal effect without discussing it.

A practical, optional preparation step is to write down the names of people you are considering and the questions you have about their roles. You could also ask each person whether they are willing to discuss being considered. These conversations can help you clarify your preferences; they are not a substitute for discussing how to document your choice.

• Who might you want to discuss as a possible alternate?
• What would you want each person to know about your wishes?
• What should you ask about how the document expresses your choices?

Keep health-care authority separate from financial authority

Health-care authority and financial authority serve different purposes. Choosing a person for health-care decisions does not answer whom you want to address financial matters. If both topics matter to you, treat them as separate planning questions and discuss each role on its own terms.

For preparation, note whether you have a separate person in mind for financial matters, or whether you want to ask how to approach that decision. Avoid assuming that one appointment covers both areas. Keeping the questions distinct can help you describe what you want each person to be considered for.

Raise treatment-preference questions separately

Selecting someone to designate as an agent is one planning question. If you also have views about treatment that you want to discuss, make a separate note of those views and ask how they relate to your planning. This page does not make medical recommendations or determine what treatment choices are right for you.

You can prepare by writing down questions you want to raise about recording or communicating your preferences. The useful distinction for this conversation is between deciding whom you may want to designate and identifying what other topics you want to discuss. Do not assume that considering an agent resolves every question you have about preferences.

• What preferences or questions do you want to raise separately?
• How would you want a person you are considering to understand your views?
• What would you like clarified about the relationship between these topics?

Plan from La Habra with statewide virtual service

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 La Habra. To prepare for a discussion, consider bringing your proposed choice, any possible alternate you want to ask about, and a list of questions about roles, communication, and separate treatment-preference topics.

A useful next step is to decide which questions matter most to you: whom to consider, whether to discuss an alternate, how to distinguish health-care from financial authority, and what other preferences you want to raise. A planning conversation can then focus on those choices and on how to express them.