Walk It Through: The Hospital Paperwork
A living will before surgery, who may witness it, a surrogate's limits, and a power of attorney for the bills.
Before surgery, a patient fills out the living will directive form and asks a daughter to sign as witness.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
One patient's paperwork before surgery. Disputes among family, guardianship, and do not resuscitate orders are not walked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Health care surrogateThe person a living will names to make health care decisions as the directive says, while the attending physician finds the person lacks decisional capacity.
- Power of attorneyA document giving another person authority to act for the principal, effective when signed unless it says it begins on a future date or event.