Our current days are filled with much uncertainty and unique challenges. There are many things happening that are out of our control. One way to gain a measure of control that will protect you and your loved ones is to keep your healthcare documents accessible and at the ready. This is especially true for your older parents and grandparents and even young adult children over the age of 18.
Now is the perfect time to locate your healthcare documents – your Advanced Healthcare Directive/Living Will and HIPAA – and your Power of Attorney and make sure that they are kept in a readily accessible location. Reach out to your parents and grandparents to confirm the location of their documents as well. A video call where you can virtually see where parents and grandparents keep their documents can be very helpful to you. Young adult children over the age of 18 should also not be overlooked.
Children over the age of 18 should have their own Advanced Healthcare Directive and HIPAA. They should appoint a health care agent who can act if they are unable to communicate their wishes. Once children are over the age 18, parents cannot automatically act on their child’s behalf.
Now is also a good time to confirm that your existing documents are consistent with your current situation and wishes and are also up to date. Check to make sure that you have the current contact information for your health care agent. Is your healthcare agent still in a position to act on your behalf? Your Power of Attorney is a powerful tool that can assist you when you cannot act for yourself.
If your any of these documents need to be updated or if you simply cannot locate them, do not despair. We are here to assist you. We are fully operational and leveraging technology platforms to provide you with advice and assistance in addressing your questions and providing you with updated documents.
Posted in: Estate Planning