Health care proxy is a legal arrangement to choose an authorized person to take medical decisions on your behalf when you are unable to make decisions. It is a significant document in law which should be properly understood before signing since it authorizes a different person to make each and every decisions relating to your health including the decision to remove or give treatment meant to sustain your life.
Artificial Nutrition
You should state in you health care proxy what you want for artificial nutrition and hydration treatment i.e. water given through feeding tubes or intravenous lines and to allow for measures to be performed according to your wishes. The authorized person will take decisions when the doctor finds you unable to take decisions.
You can write your own health care proxy instructions about what treatments you do not like and what you wish for. You can also limit the decisions that you agent can or cannot make. Your agent must follow the instructions very strictly while taking decisions on your behalf. However a lawyer is not necessary to fill out the health care proxy form.
The authorized agent can be an adult above 18 years of age, a family friend, or a member of the family. Even a doctor can be an authorized agent. He should hen choose to be the agent or the attendant doctor.
Before you choose the authorized agent discuss with him and see if he agrees to be your agent according to health care proxy. Some times you may authorize your spouse whom you may divorce later. In that case he or she cannot be the agent unless you specifically allow for such circumstances.
Though you sign a health care proxy, you can take your own decisions as long as you are in a condition to do so. You can continue to receive treatment and the agent can never object if you object at some point during your health care treatment. The agent will be voluntarily appointed. You can also specify how to treat the organs and donate them along with tissues.