What it is, what it does, and why it is important
5/22/2025 8:00:49 AM
This is part of a mini-series dedicated to providing essential information on making healthcare decisions in a format accessible to deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing individuals.
If you are DeafBlind or prefer to watch the video in a high contrast format, watch the DeafBlind friendlier ASL version instead. To adjust the video speed, use YouTube's playback speed tool.
Hello, I’m here with you all today to discuss what Medical Power of Attorney means and how that can impact you as well as your family and friends.
A Medical Power of Attorney (POA), also known as Health Care Proxy, or assigning a health care agent, is a legal document that allows a patient to appoint another person to make medical decisions on their behalf. If the patient is no longer able to make decisions regarding their medical care, the appointed person is able to make those decisions on their behalf.
Anyone who is over the age of 18, and who is not a doctor or another health care provider for the patient. This may be a family member, relative, friend, or spiritual leader.
More than one person can be appointed as agents as decided by the patient. These may be co-agents working together to make decisions, or successive agents should one agent be unable to make the decisions at the time.
The person can make decisions regarding the patient’s medical care and after-death decisions (in the case of organ and/or tissue donation) if the patient is too sick or unable to make conscious decisions for themselves. These decisions include life-sustaining treatments such as CPR (if there is no DNR in place), oxygen machines, dialysis, and so on.
The document can include statements made by the patient of the actions that the patient wishes regarding their medical care, especially life-sustaining treatments and actions that the patient wants or does not want. This can also include an DNR as well.
A Power of Attorney (POA) cannot transfer the responsibilities to another agent without the consent of the patient who made the original assignment. They also cannot make decisions about the patient’s estate after death - that is up to the executor of the patient’s estate. They cannot make changes to the patient’s will or estate planning documents.
The Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing thanks:
Regina Daniels for ASL talent.
Judy Mermelstein for voiceover.
Keystone Interpreting Solutions for film production.
The Get Your Ducks in a Row Campaign unites diverse community partners across the seven-county Arrowhead Region to promote a critical message: advanced planning matters for everyone, regardless of age. Videos include captions and ASL.
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