Who Will Make Your Medical Decisions If You Can’t?

How to Choose a Health Care Proxy

Do you know who will make your health care decisions if you can’t? If you don’t, it might be time to complete a health care proxy.

Why Do You Need a Health Care Proxy?

A health care proxy is a document that identifies the person you choose to make your health care decisions if you are no longer able to. Sometimes the term health care proxy is used interchangeably both as the name of form completed and the actual person (proxy) you identified on the form itself.

This is different from an emergency contact or someone given access to your medical information; those individuals might be involved in your care, but they don’t have the power to make decisions.

Everyone over the age of 18 should have a health care proxy. You never know when health issues may arise, and if they do, not having a health care proxy could cause confusion among your health care teams, conflict within your family, and at the end of the day, delay potentially life-saving care.

Choosing the Right Person

A health care proxy form can identify just about anyone – friend or relative, sibling or parent. The only person you can’t choose is your health care provider. But while anyone could get the nod, choosing the right person will help ensure your wishes are carried out consistently.

Consider the following qualities when choosing a proxy:

• Reliability: Being a proxy is a big responsibility, and you should select someone you trust. They should be able to handle complicated decisions and clearly communicate with your care team.
• Availability: A close friend might have your best interests in mind, but if they are generally unavailable, they won’t be much use as a proxy. Consider proxies who are responsive and can make themselves available on short notice.
• Alignment: Your proxy needs to understand the what, why and when of your health care wishes. It’s not enough to choose a proxy – you need someone who can act on your behalf to answer questions and make decisions that align with your wishes.

The most proactive way to formalize your decision is to sign a health care proxy form at your primary care and/or specialty care office (though you can verbally assign your proxy if needed). You may also find the form online.

You will need to be present to sign the documentation (along with two witnesses, who can be members of your care team), which will then be uploaded to your file for future reference.

BILH patients can fill out the proxy form right in their MyBILH Chart account.

Ensuring Your Proxy Is Ready to Act

Communicating your wishes to your proxy is among the most important health care conversations you will have.

It’s not an easy task.

Fortunately, organizations like The Conversation Project have several resources to help guide you and ensure your proxy has the information they need to act in your best interests.

In the end, most people will never have their proxy invoked. But being prepared is often the best thing you can do for your health. Choosing a health care proxy puts you in position to get the care you need – even when you’re not able to make your own decisions.