Estate Planning - Health Care Surrogate

Wills | Trusts | Living Wills | Health Care Surrogate | Powers of Attorney 

Health Care Surrogate Designations are becoming more and more common, and are usually done along with a living will.

A designation can be a very important document, especially for single people. In the event that you are seriously injured or become seriously ill and cannot make decisions for yourself about your medical care, someone needs to make decisions and consent to medical procedures on your behalf. Normally doctors and hospitals will turn to your spouse for such decisions. If you do not have a spouse, or if your spouse is unable to make such decisions, then the doctor must turn to someone else. The health care surrogate allows you to designate someone else to make medical decisions on your behalf. The surrogate can be an adult child, some other relative, a friend, or anyone else you choose.

The surrogacy designation document also allows you to specify that you do not want certain types of procedures performed on you. For example, you can specify that you do not consent to having electric shock treatments. If you are injured or incapacitated, emergency room staff and doctors will turn to the person named as your health care surrogate for medical consent for treatment.

People often execute a Living Will and a Health Care Surrogate Designation at the same time. If you would like more information about Health Care Surrogates, please contact us.