a durable power of attorney for health care names a person (often referred to as an “agent”) to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are no longer able to make health care decisions for yourself. this document is also known as a health care proxy or health care power of attorney. if you have another document such as a living will, your agent will use that document to guide decisions made on your behalf. it is critical to discuss your values and overall goals for medical care with your agent(s). every adult should complete a durable power of attorney for health care, including younger and healthy individuals, because they may lose decision-making capability due to an injury or unexpected illness. clinicians caring for patients who are not capable of making decisions and have no health care agent must follow their state law about the selection of individual decision makers (often referred to as “surrogates”).

the commission on law and aging has released a booklet offering a simple durable power of attorney for health care, designed to meet the legal requirements in nearly all states. the aba commission provides a resource list of many of those guides. clarifying one’s values and goals of treatment so that a health care agent, as well as health care providers, will implement them when the time comes is not a legal task, at heart—it is a communication exercise. a unique feature of the new form is that it complies with state legal requirements for a valid power of attorney for health care in almost every state. only one other nationally distributed health care advance directive has sought to meet the legal requirements in all or most states.