PoA Briefs – Part III

Social Security does not honor a PoA. Refer to the Social Security Blog post.

Keep the original PoA document in a safe place, but you should have an available copy for yourself and your parents or other family member you are PoA for.  In addition, keep extra copies of the PoA in case you come across others who may require one.

Important notes to keep in mind:

1) With the PoA document(s) and healthcare directives on file at the hospital; and if the senior is ever seen in the Emergency room or admitted, the named PoA will be able to talk with personnel about the senior’s condition and treatment.

2) If the senior you are caring for has not executed a PoA and becomes gravely ill (e.g., massive stroke), you may need to apply for guardianship or conservatorship in PoA and you become gravely ill, someone else will have to get legal authority to do the same for you. Guardianship and conservatorship laws vary from state to state. If you need to obtain guardianship or conservatorship, please seek legal advice in the state where the senior lives.

3) Other agencies require or may require specific documents before you can handle affairs related to these agencies on your parent’s behalf. On rare occasions these agencies may require the person holding the PoA to provide a letter from the senior’s doctor regarding the senior’s condition.

4) It is advantageous and highly recommended that you, or the senior you may be assisting, execute PoA documents for finance and healthcare, and other documents such as the healthcare directive (living will/advance directive) before an emergency arises.

This ends the 3 part “PoA Briefs” series.  If you want more information about powers of attorney, it is very easy to obtain more details by typing in the words: power of attorney when searching on the Internet.  Thank you for taking the time to read through these Blog articles.

“Cheerfulness oils the machinery of life”  author unknown