As a Georgia parent ages, his or her adult children typically step in to help as needed. At times, this requires assistance with going to the grocery store, driving to doctor’s appointments or even helping around the house. For some families, the assistance required is more intensive; as such, it may be necessary to take steps to make sure that care planning guidelines and directives have been put in place.
As one ages, there may come a time when the individual is no longer physically, mentally and/or legally able to make decisions. This means that he or she is no longer to handle his or her own financial transactions such as paying bills or selling property. Additionally, the individual may no longer able to name an individual to take care of these tasks for him or her.
For these reasons, many find that establishing a durable power of attorney is a necessary part of care planning. Prior to the individual reaching the point where he or she is unable to make these decisions, a loved one or trusted professional is named as the individual with such responsibility. This requires a legal document that specifically states the details surrounding this responsibility. With this in place, the individual named is then able to act on behalf of the individual.
Care planning is an important part of taking care of loved ones as they age. Additionally, with a durable power of attorney, the individual has input into who will make decisions on his or her behalf. Experienced legal counsel can assist the Georgia resident in establishing a durable power of attorney and determining who should hold this important responsibility.
Source: wilmingtonbiz.com, “POA Pitfalls: Potential Problems in Granting Powers of Attorney“, Susan Willett, Feb. 1, 2018