You can choose a person to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to communicate them yourself, whether it’s due to a serious illness, injury, or other reason. This person is called a health care proxy. Having a health care proxy can help you plan for unexpected situations that may not be covered in your living will.
Some important things to know:
Your proxy can only make decisions if you are too sick to make them yourself. In addition, you can specify how much say your proxy has over your care.
Your proxy will work with your health care team to ensure your care and treatment preferences are followed.
You can change your health care proxy at any time. Simply fill out a new proxy form and let your family and health care team know about the change.
You may name an alternate proxy if your proxy is unavailable.
It’s important to find someone who you trust to honor your wishes and who is comfortable speaking up on your behalf with loved ones and health care providers. You may want to talk to more than one person about your wishes before deciding who is the right proxy for you.
