| 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
injured or ill, 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
- Avoids court intervention
|
- Some states do not permit a "springing" DPOA
(i.e., a DPOA that is effective only after you have
become incapacitated)
|
Whitehouse & Company CPA's