Choosing who will be your power of attorney for healthcare and durable power of attorney for financial matters is often a tough choice. Ideally, you will choose the person who has your best interests at heart and can best manage your health and finances. These powers of attorney can be the same person, or two separate people. You can also hire an elder law attorney or professional trust company to act as your agents.
We often see poor choices made in regards to choosing powers of attorney, and most often these poor choices happen in families with multiple adult children. The parent who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease tries to be fair, rather than choosing the best child for the job. In situations like these, we typically recommend a family friend or professional to be named.
It is also important to remember that Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients often live years, if not decades, past their diagnosis. With this in mind, make sure that you power of attorney not only understands your long-term wishes, but also that he or she has backup agents named in case of problems that might make continuing as your agent impossible.
