Karen B

I would like to let you know that you are doing an excellent job explaining everything in this class. I am in exactly the position you described yesterday about being a POA and living far away. As POA to my parents, I have had to quit my job, lose my benefits, leave my family (husband, 2 children – one a minor) in Chicago and move here to California so that I can assist my parents since my Dad had a stroke in April. Thank goodness my circumstances are that I can do this for my parents, but most people could not.

And thank you for really driving home the point about discussing end of life care with your designee for a AHCD, POA for health care. As a Critical Care Nurse, I see this every day at work, when the patient’s end of life care was never discussed. You might want to mention to your audience in the future, that appointees will do for you what they would want done for themselves, if you have not given them any instructions. Many feel that since you came into the hospital to be treated, you would want everything possible to be done for you. So if you haven’t talked to them about this, and you have no idea what their outlook is in this situation, you could be setting yourself up for something you did not want. Also if a person has not designated a POA, and the patient is unable to communicate, a family member will be appointed to make all the decisions for you, and you may not have wanted this person to be placed in this role. Or the legal system could get involved and you could end up with a court appointed stranger making all of your health care decisions… I could go on and on with this forever, so let me just say again – you did a wonderful job with this topic!

Thank you so much for this opportunity to learn about estate planning.

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