Healthcare Power of Attorney Lawyers in Grand Rapids
Meet Your Grand Rapids Healthcare Power of Attorney Experts
Power of Attorney? Patient Advocate Designation? Living Will? Deciding what legal tool is appropriate can be difficult, but we are here to help.
Planning for a time when you might not be able to make your own medical decisions is never easy. Yet taking steps now to secure your healthcare future is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give to yourself and your family. This foresight replaces uncertainty with clarity and provides peace of mind during what could be a very difficult time.
Healthcare advance directives ensure that your medical wishes are followed, by the people you trust, if you ever become unable to speak for yourself. A comprehensive healthcare plan relieves your loved ones of the burden of guessing what you would have wanted, preventing potential family disputes and allowing them to focus on your care.
At Kimball & Wells, we are community-driven and family-focused. We believe that healthcare planning is a conversation, not just a transaction. We're here to walk you through every step of the process, ensuring your plan is clear, comprehensive, and tailored to your life here in Grand Rapids.
Your Voice in Healthcare: The Michigan Patient Advocate Designation
In Michigan, protecting your healthcare decisions requires a specific legal document with very particular rules. This document has the power to speak for you when you cannot speak for yourself.
What is a Patient Advocate Designation (PAD)?
In Michigan, the legal document used to appoint a healthcare decision-maker is called a Patient Advocate Designation, or PAD. This document allows you to name a "Patient Advocate"—a person aged 18 or older—to make decisions about your medical and mental health care if you become unable to make or communicate those decisions for yourself.
A common point of confusion is when a PAD actually takes effect. Your Patient Advocate has no authority as long as you can participate in your own medical decisions. The designation is only activated after your attending physician and another physician or licensed psychologist determine in writing that you are unable to do so. This written determination becomes part of your medical record. Should you regain your ability to make decisions, your advocate's authority automatically ends, and control returns to you.
We can help you set up this vital document, and walk you through all the ways Michigan law is different from other states with rules on healthcare power of attorney documents, living wills, and the like. Call us today to discuss your options.
Contact Us For a Free Consultation
Address:
2012 28th St SE
Suite A
Grand Rapids, MI 49508
Phone: (616) 317-8489
Adam Kimball’s Email: Adam@kimballwells.com
Wyatt Wells’s Email: Wyatt@kimballwells.com