Durable Power Of Attorney For Health Care (Page 4 of 15) in pdf

17. Can I revoke my patient advocate designation?

Yes. A patient may revoke his or her designation at any time and in any manner sufficient to

communicate intent to revoke.

18. Can I appoint a second person to serve as a patient advocate in case the first

named person is unable to serve?

Yes.

19. Must a durable power of attorney for health care designation document be

witnessed?

Yes. A designation must be executed in the presence of and signed by two witnesses. The witnesses

must not include your spouse, parent, child, grandchild, sibling, presumptive heir, known devisee at

the time of the witnessing, physician, or patient advocate; an employee of your life or health

insurance provider; an employee of a health facility that is treating you; or an employee of a home for

the aged where you reside as defined in section 20106 of the Public Health Code, Act No. 368 of the

Public Acts of 1978, being Section 333.20106 of the Michigan Complied Laws.

20. In general, what should I do before completing an advance directive?

Take your time. Consider who you might choose to be your proxy or to act in your place. Think

about your treatment wishes. Discuss the issue with family members. Talk with your minister, rabbi,

priest, or other spiritual leader if you feel it would be helpful. Bring the subject up with your doctor.

Have a discussion about benefits and burdens of various types of treatment.

21. Are there issues I should give particular attention to?

Yes. Many people have strong feelings about the administration of food and water, either by tube

down their throat, a tube placed surgically into their stomach, or intravenously. You may wish to

consider and indicate in what circumstances, if any, you wish such procedures withheld or withdrawn.

Also, bear in mind that people’s opinions regarding their own health care may change over time. Your

wishes regarding medical treatment when you are relatively young may be quite different from your

wishes when you reach advanced age, so you may wish to review your decisions periodically with

your patient advocate.

22. Is there a standard form for an advance directive?

Absolutely not. While this pamphlet contains a sample form which you may choose to use to

designate a patient advocate, you may use a form designated by an organization, you may hire a

lawyer to draft the necessary documentation, or you may write out the document yourself. If you

write the documentation yourself, make sure that is is legible. Under state law, the designation must

be in writing; you must sign the document, date it, and have it witnessed as described above. A

person accepting the responsibility to act as a patient advocate must sign an acceptance to the

designation document which contains provisions required by statute. (These statutory provisions

are listed in sections A through I found in Part V of the attached Durable Power of

Attorney for Health Care Form.)

23. What if there is a dispute as to how my durable power of attorney for health care should

be carried out?

If there is a dispute as to whether your patient advocate is acting consistent with your best interest,

the probate court may be petitioned to resolve the dispute. The court can remove a patient advocate

who acts improperly in your behalf.

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