Medical Power of Attorney in Ohio
Ohio allows a person to designate another individual to make medical decisions for them if they are unable to make them. A medical power of attorney, or Health Care Power of Attorney, is a legal document that allows another person to make specified medical decisions when the creator of the medical power of attorney is unable to make their own decisions. A couple of examples of when a medical power of attorney is used include incidents where the person is in the middle of surgery and the surgeons need to take some type of unanticipated action and after an accident occurs that renders a person unconscious and in need of medical treatment.
Medical Power of Attorney vs. Living Will
A medical power of attorney cannot automatically make decisions regarding life support. If a person wishes for their medical power of attorney to be able to make decisions for them regarding life support, this must be specifically stated in the legal document. A living will is another avenue of planning that directly deals with life support.
If you have questions about a medical power of attorney or need legal advice, contact a licensed Ohio attorney.