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Power of Attorney for Health Care Document
Notice to Person Making This Document
You have the right to make decisions about your health care. No health care may be given to you
over your objection, and necessary health care may not be stopped or withheld if you object.
Because your health care providers in some cases may not have had the opportunity to establish
a long-term relationship with you, they are often unfamiliar with your beliefs and values and the
details of your family relationships. This poses a problem if you become physically or mentally
unable to make decisions about your health care.
In order to avoid this problem, you may sign this legal document to specify the person whom
you would want to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make those decisions
personally. That person is known as your health care agent. You should take some time to discuss
your thoughts and beliefs about medical treatment with the person or persons who you have
specified. You may state in this document any types of health care that you do or do not desire,
and you may limit the authority of your health care agent. If your health care agent is unaware
of your desires with respect to a particular health care decision, he or she is required to determine
what would be in your best interests in making the decision.
This is an important legal document. It gives your agent broad powers to make health care decisions
for you. It revokes any prior power of attorney for health care that you may have made. If you wish
to change your Power of Attorney for Health Care, you may revoke this document at any time by
destroying it, by directing another person to destroy it in your presence, by signing a written and
dated statement, or by stating that it is revoked in the presence of two witnesses.
If you revoke, you should notify your agent, your health care providers and any other person to
whom you have given a copy. If your agent is your spouse or domestic partner and your marriage is
annulled or you are divorced or the domestic partnership is terminated after signing this document,
the document is invalid.
You may also use this document to make or refuse to make any anatomical gift upon your death.
If you use this document to make or refuse to make an anatomical gift, this document revokes any
prior record of gift you may have made. You may revoke or change any anatomical gift that you
make in this document by crossing out the anatomical gifts provision in this document.
Do not sign this document unless you clearly understand it.
It is suggested that you keep the original of this document on file with your physician.