Designating a person to make health care decisions for you if you are not able to do so for yourself is extremely important. In Massachusetts, the legal document that we use to make this designation is a Health Care Proxy. The person you name to make health care decisions for you is called your health care agent.

If your medical provider determines that you are not able to make medical decisions for yourself then your health care agent would be able to:

• Discuss your medical situation with your doctors or other medical care providers
• Obtain access to your medical records
• Arrange for a second opinion about your condition
• Consent to medical procedures
• Make decisions about whether to use extraordinary medical measures to prolong your life

To learn more about Health Care Proxies and other important health care documents read Attorney Suzanne R. Sayward’s article, Five Important Facts to Know About Health Care Documents.

To schedule an appointment to learn more about Health Care Proxies, contact Samuel, Sayward & Baler LLC by phone at 781/461-1020 or by email using our Contact form.