Apr 16, 2014 – Directive and Proxy

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ANCHOR LEAD: HAVING A DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTHCARE ISN’T ENOUGH, ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS

Do you have someone named to make medical decisions for you if you are unable? Such a power of attorney for healthcare also needs to be supported by your advance directives. That’s according to Lauren Hirsch Nicholas, a health policy researcher at Johns Hopkins, whose recent study shows just how often unwanted and futile care is given to elders at the end of life.

NICHOLAS: Many more of them were at least naming a durable power of attorney but these durable power of attorneys, these healthcare proxy decision makers,  didn’t necessarily have information about what their loved one actually wanted, that can put their decision maker in a very difficult position. Having that burden is another thing that can lead people to say we want aggressive care just because it’s difficult to say we should give up now. :29

At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.