Information on Medical Powers of Attorney in Louisiana

What is a healthcare power of attorney & why is it important?

When planning for the future, it is important to take your health into consideration. While no one wants to consider the grim possibility that one day they may no longer be able to make decisions for themselves, it is something that every family should be prepared for. If you were to become mentally incapacitated, for example, a medical power of attorney could help you to ensure that your healthcare needs are upheld in the manner that you have intended. This is a legal document that would give someone else the power to make medical decisions on your behalf—who, of course, would be someone that you trust.

Your appointed "healthcare agent" would be legally obligated to follow your treatment preferences to the extent that he or she knows about them, which could be expressed by you through a healthcare declaration—which is a form that, in Baton Rouge, is known as the Louisiana Declaration. This would allow you to provide clear, written instructions to your appointed agent and healthcare providers about the type of medical treatment that you wish to receive. Once the durable power of attorney has gone into effect (i.e. upon your incapacitation), your agent would then be responsible for ensuring that your wishes are upheld.

Creating a Comprehensive Estate Plan in Baton Rouge, LA

As a Baton Rouge estate planning lawyer, I know that planning for the future can seem like a daunting task. Creating an estate plan can seem like a grim undertaking, but you would have nothing to lose by ensuring that your best interests, and those of your family, are protected. Rather than leaving it up to a team of doctors to decide what is and isn't aligned with your medical wishes, you can utilize a durable power of attorney for healthcare to nominate a trusted friend of family member as your healthcare advocate—thus, ensuring that you will always be in good hands.

If you are interested in learning more about the purpose and/or benefits of a medical power of attorney, I encourage you to get in touch with my firm today. Here at the Law Office of Wendra J. Moran, we take a personalized approach to every case that we represent. Not only will I devote the necessary amount of time, energy and resources to your case, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that you fully understand your estate planning options.