Healthcare Power of Attorney

(CC BY 2.0) Flickr Author Jacob Windham from Mobile, USA

Something many people don’t think about is Healthcare Power of Attorney. What happens to you if you are hurt, and can’t make decisions for yourself? What happens if you are declared unfit to make decisions about your healthcare because of your mental illness? It’s important to have back-up plans.

Many people assume that being married covers all the bases. After all, your spouse can make all those decisions, right? I mean, nobody knows you better, and nobody is as invested in you living either. But that doesn’t account for everything. What if your spouse is also hurt? What if they die in the accident?

There are many reasons to establish powers of attorney. The biggest one is insurance. You want to make sure your will is done. All aspects of your will can be taken care of post-mortem, but if you aren’t dead, who takes care of your needs, or pays your bills?

Jenny and I have been doing all this paperwork, so that there is a paper trail, proof of our wishes. Jenny has a great family, and I have a very close brother, so we’ve set up our arrangements so that backups are in place if something happens to the other of us.

I would like to encourage you to take the steps to protect your interests in case of an emergency. We used WillMaker, and it was super easy. Took time, but was easy. Also, I wrote my will, which was hilarious. There are so many darn jokes for my family to find when I die. #JustSaying

P.S. My eye is doing better today. Still no infection. Hope the antibiotics keep doing their job!