Why would you give someone the right to make decisions on your behalf? Consider these examples:

1. You know you are going into the hospital for major surgery and you want someone to be able to make decisions if the doctors find an additional issue during the surgery.
2. You are unconscious in the hospital after a car accident. While you are expected to recover, who do you want to make healthcare decisions on your behalf? If you have a healthcare power of attorney, the individual you name will make decisions for you. He or she will be able to speak with your doctor(s) and direct your care based on the rules you have set out in this legal document.

In these cases, if you have designated a trusted individual as your representative and your healthcare power of attorney gives them instructions about your care, you can rest assured you will be treated as you would like. In cases where an individual does not have a healthcare power of attorney and is unable to make a decision, the decision is up to the doctors or treatment may be delayed until the individual is able to make a decision.