My Mother is 83 has Sun Down Syndrome and possible further dementia, also in a wheelchair, has severe arthritis, and has day and night time hallucinations. I have had her to several doctors and her eldercare physican suggested I get power of attorney in case a situation should arrive that needed a decision for her well being. I have kept her at home for l0 years now and fear that things may be heading downhill. Would appreciate your help in answering this question!
It is not very complicated, but because of the complication of dementia it would be best to have a lawyer who specializes in Elder Law to help you with it.
Take care,
Carol
Basically this allowed me to pay her bills, sell assets, etc. You have to keep in mind that the POA requires you to act responsibly on making decisions. The document had to be signed by Mom in the presence of a Notary; no other witnesses were required
Medical POAs are a little more complicated and will require additional witnesses.
On the surface it looks like your situation will get more complicated going further so follow the advice you've already received in this forum and seek out an elder care attorney to help navigate the process.
You aren't referring to a Successor Trustee or Personal Representative's capacity, are you?
It did put my mother into a tizzy for about a week, she didn't want to think about her possible death or disability, but she did know what she was signing at the time.
The lawyer did a whole 5 document "estate" package, last will, financial POA, medical POA, Disposition of Remains and Pre-Need Guardian. I also did mine at the same time, so that I don't but my daughter through this caregiver nightmare when I get older.
I was in the room when the attorney went over all the papers, which we had reviewed at home, and then I had to leave the room while she signed them, because I was being named the "person of authority" (as my mother calls it now).
Good luck.
When we're young, it's a very wise move to plan out everything before we come to the point of needing help from others. One of your smartest moves besides planning your healthcare is to also plan your final disposition as well as your finances. Making all of the major plans and setting everything in motion now will be easier later if you should become incapacitated. That way, all of your wishes including your final wishes must be honored because they were already covered long before you ever became incapacitated. The more you can do for yourself now, the less someone else will have to do later because the easier the job will be for them if you've already taken care of all of your major decisions ahead of time.
For starters, it's always a wise move to plan out your final disposition if anything should happen to you anywhere you happen to be. This is why I strongly believe in preneed planning and having a funeral policy. I've also planned out my finances by using automatic online bill pay. That way all of my bills are already taken care of, which means no one has any business with their hands in my bank account because I not only have my bills come out automatically, but I also only use my bank card for all of my transactions. Regarding my health care, I'm planning as I go, according to my current needs. That way all of my needs are being properly met, and I don't have anyone to interfere when everything is going very well. I just wouldn't want someone else making a decision that would bring further harm or detriment to me, possibly causing permanent disability or early death. This is why you need to plan ahead when you're young and know what you want before you become incapacitated. The more you can do for yourself when you have that ability, the less someone else will have to do for you later if you plan out everything just right. The more you do for yourself now, the fewer decisions someone else will have to make later.