Power of Attorney for Personal Care

About Power of Attorney for Personal Care

A Power of Attorney (POA) document for personal care outlines who will make decisions on your behalf about health care and end-of-life care when you are incapable to do so.

The term POA refers to a legal document, and an “Attorney” (not a lawyer) is the individual you appoint to assume responsibility as outlined in the POA. Attorneys are decision makers not caregivers.

The name of this document varies by province

Power of Attorney for Personal Care is the name used for Ontario and New Brunswick. In the other provinces it is not referred to as a POA. In Alberta, Nova Scotia and Nunavut this document is called a Personal Directive, in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, a Healthcare Directive, in British Columbia, a Representation Agreement and in Newfoundland and Labrador, an Advance Healthcare Directive.

Choose an Attorney while Mentally Capable

Having a Power of Attorney for Personal Care (or equivalent document in other provinces) is your choice. However, should you become mentally incapable, you will no longer be able to appoint someone as your Attorney. Without a POA, the court can appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf and this may not be the person you would choose.

Choose someone you trust

Your Attorney for Personal Care makes very personal decisions that can have a significant impact on your daily living, so it’s important to appoint a mature individual you trust who will honour your wishes and be able to make tough, emotional decisions.

What kind of authority is granted under a Power of Attorney for Personal Care?

The POA document outlines the authority granted to the appointed Attorney and includes the type of decisions your Attorney can make related to:

  • Decisions about medical care
  • Decisions about housing needs
  • Hiring and managing any care providers required to ensure home safety and personal care needs
  • Managing payments to providers
  • Communicating and collaborating with family members and physicians
How we can help

We're an Alternative to Appointing Family or Friends

Attorneys (individuals operating under a POA), help clients manage their health care needs for a living. As a neutral third party, a Professional Attorney for Personal Care can help avoid family conflict and safeguard against fraud or abuse.

We are an Impartial and Neutral third party

As a fiduciary, the Financial Concierge™ team holds a position of trust with our clients. Acting under a POA Personal Care we offer the following services:

  1. Appointed Attorney – Acting as the appointed Attorney we support our clients to manage health care matters when they no longer can.
  2. Agent of Attorney – We support the appointed Attorney, usually a family member or friend, as their agent to perform POA duties that require expertise or significant time, and coach them on tasks they choose to perform themselves.
  3. Appointed as Attorney – We are appointed by the court as Attorney when an individual requires a representative for health care decisions with no one appointed to do so.

Note, we offer Attorney services for personal care only if we are also agent or appointed as Executor and/or Attorney for property.

Foundational to our services is the development of our Family Playbook™. It organizes important personal and financial documents and outlines wishes regarding final arrangements in one easy-to-access location. Learn more about our Document Organization services here. 

Our POA Services in a Nutshell:

Below are the primary services we perform when acting as an Attorney for Personal Care:

  • Make decisions about medical care
  • Make decisions about housing needs
  • Hire and manage any care providers required to ensure home safety and personal care needs
  • Manage payments to providers
  • Communicate and collaborate with family members and physicians

At Financial Concierge™, we’re proud to offer a unique, heartfelt service that honours our clients’ personal care wishes when they are no longer able to make health care decisions and manage care providers on their own.

Connect With Us

As a fiduciary, the Financial Concierge™ team holds a position of trust with our clients. We specialize in providing professional executor services and estate administration support.

You can get in touch with us by going to our Contact Us page and using our Contact Us form. We look forward to connecting with you!

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