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Common incapacity documents

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Common incapacity documents

Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPAHC)/Health-Care Proxy
Advantages	Disadvantages
Is flexible--allows your representative to act on your behalf and make medical decisions based on current circumstances Generally, your representative can make any decision you would be allowed to make Generally can be used any time you become incompetent	Not practical in an emergency--your representative must be present to act on your behalf Not permitted in some states
Living Will
Advantages	Disadvantages
Allows you to convey decisions regarding your medical care without relying on any one person to carry out your wishes	Generally can be used only if you are terminally ill or injured, or in a persistent vegetative state Generally used only to make decisions regarding life-sustaining treatments Emergency medical personnel generally cannot withhold emergency care based on a living will Not permitted in some states
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order
Advantages	Disadvantages
Allows you to decline CPR if your heart or breathing fails Effective in an emergency--your doctor should note an in-hospital DNR order on your chart. Out-of-hospital DNR orders take various forms, depending on the laws of your state. ID bracelets, MedicAlert ® necklaces, and wallet cards are some methods of noting DNR status.	Some states allow DNR orders only for hospitalized patients--others do not restrict eligibility Only used to decline CPR in case of cardiac or respiratory arrest Not permitted in some states
Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA)
Advantages	Disadvantages
You control who acts and what they can do with your property Low cost to implement Decreases the chance of court intervention	Some states do not permit a "springing" DPOA (i.e., a DPOA that is effective only after you have become incapacitated)