Your Choice for Future Care

Have you chosen someone to be your health care proxy in the event you are unable to take charge of your own care? While we do not like to think about it, the fact is that you may at some point have someone else making decisions about your health care. If you do not make the decision (advance directives) the decision will be out of your hands, and your health care proxy may be someone you would not have chosen.

A new study has found that when asked many people choose someone other than their spouse to take on this role. They also found that female relatives are more likely to be assigned this role than are males. Planning for the future is the key. It is also very important to talk with family to let them know your wishes for care when you are no longer able to make decisions. Let everyone know who your proxy is and what you want done should a decision to continue or terminate care should need to be made.