Healthcare Power of Attorney in La Grange

Choose an agent—and a backup

Start by considering who you would trust to make healthcare decisions for you, and whether you want to name an alternate in case your first choice is unavailable. The Tennessee Advance Directive for Health Care form addresses an agent, an alternate, and healthcare preferences.

Compare candidates by how well they understand your priorities, communicate with others involved in your care, and can take on the responsibility. Consider whether your preferred person is willing and whether you would want the same person to serve as the backup.

• Primary choice: Who do you want to speak for you?
• Alternate: Who should be considered if your first choice cannot serve?
• Preferences: What views about care do you want reflected in your directive?

Separate decision-making from information access

A healthcare power of attorney concerns authority to make healthcare decisions. A HIPAA authorization concerns sharing health information. Under HHS guidance, a separate information-sharing authorization alone does not appoint someone to make healthcare decisions.

The roles may connect, but they are not interchangeable. State law can make a person with healthcare authority a HIPAA personal representative; whether another authorization is useful depends on the plan and circumstances. Review existing documents together rather than assuming an authorization is an appointment or that an agent always needs a separate one.

Prepare a one-page decision brief

Before discussing documents, write down your proposed agent and alternate, the reasons for your choices, and the care preferences you want considered. Note where existing instructions are kept and who should know how to find them.

Bring the brief alongside any existing healthcare directives, living wills, or HIPAA authorizations. This makes it easier to identify gaps or conflicting instructions and to discuss whether the documents work together.

• Names and contact details for your proposed agent and alternate
• A short summary of care preferences and questions about how to express them
• Copies of existing healthcare instructions and information-sharing authorizations

Questions to resolve before finalizing a plan

Ask what decisions the proposed agent would be authorized to make, how your preferences fit into that authority, and what happens if your first choice is unavailable. Also ask whether existing information-sharing documents match the people you want involved.

Dale Law Group, PLLC offers healthcare powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives and living wills, and HIPAA authorizations as part of its Tennessee estate-planning services. The firm’s office is in Murfreesboro; La Grange is a locality served by the firm, not an office location.