A medical power of attorney may also be referred to as a healthcare surrogate or a healthcare proxy, but this critical document allows you to appoint another individual to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so. In the event that you are no longer able to understand medical instructions as a result of advanced cognitive decline or being in a coma or in any situation where you are no longer able to communicate, you will need someone who can identify the situation and pass on your wishes to the healthcare provider. 

Your physician can help you to determine whether or not you are unable to make your own medical decisions. When this occurs, the person you have selected with the medical power of attorney, otherwise known as your agent, can make medical decisions on your behalf. It is strongly recommended that you select someone you trust and someone who understands your wishes. Frequently, this agent will be a family member but it could also be a neighbor or a friend who lives closer than family members.

This individual should carefully understand his or her responsibilities as they may need to communicate your decisions about your end-of-life care. If you do not have this document and become incapacitated, the court will be responsible for appointing a guardian for you. Without having this document, you may be leaving the opportunity to make these pertinent decisions about your future up to someone else who you are not familiar with.