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Ohio Healthcare Power of Attorney

An Ohio Healthcare Power of Attorney is a legal document that grants a person or entity the authority to make health-related decisions on your behalf, such as requesting or refusing specific medical treatments and procedures, when you cannot do so.

The individual granting control is called the "principal," and the person or organization receiving powers is known as the "agent." Suitable for Ohio residents, this Power of Attorney for health care is made for use in Cuyahoga County, Hamilton County, Summit County, and in every other part of the state. All Ohio Medical PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be modified for your specific scenario. This official document provides proof to healthcare institutions and other parties that your chosen agent is legally allowed to act in your interest.

It's fast and simple to assign or receive the support you may need with a free Ohio Healthcare Power of Attorney template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make the document - Provide a few details and we will do the rest
2. Send and share - Discuss the document with your agent or ask a lawyer
3. Sign and make it legal - Optional or not, notarization and witnesses are recommended

This solution, in many cases, would be notably less time-consuming than finding and working with your average provider. If necessary, you may fill out a Medical PoA on behalf of your spouse, an elderly parent, or another relative, and then help that person sign after you've drafted it. Please note that for this document to be considered valid, the principal must be a mentally competent adult when they sign. In the event that the principal is already incapacitated and unable to make their own decisions, a conservatorship may be required. When dealing with this situation, it would be a good idea for you to work with a lawyer.

If you are over 18 years old, you should have a Healthcare Power of Attorney. Although it can be difficult to think about, a day might come when you can no longer make your own healthcare decisions. Here are some typical situations where you may find a PoA to be helpful:

• You are planning for an upcoming medical procedure or a hospitalization
• You are getting older or dealing with ongoing health issues
• You've been diagnosed with a terminal condition
• You are preparing to move into a community care facility

Regardless of whether this Ohio Healthcare Power of Attorney is being generated as part of a long-term plan or produced in response to an unexpected issue, witnesses and notarization are highly encouraged for protecting your agent if their privileges and authority are doubted.

Sometimes, in discussing the subjects of estate planning and/or elder care with legal or medical professionals, you may hear the terms "healthcare power of attorney" and "healthcare proxy" used together or interchangeably. At the end of the day, they are the same. That said, you should keep in mind that it's entirely possible to give power of attorney over matters that are not related to health care. In that case, "proxy" is not typically used.

Ohio Medical PoA forms are normally straightforward; however, you or your agent could have legal questions. The answer will depend on whom you approach, but sometimes a lawyer may not even agree to review your document if they weren't the author. A more favorable approach might be to request help from the On Call network. When you sign up for a Premium membership, you can request feedback from an experienced lawyer or send additional legal questions related to your Healthcare Power of Attorney. As always, Rocket Lawyer is here to help.

The fees associated with working with your average attorney to generate a Medical Power of Attorney could total anywhere from $200 to $500, depending on your location. When using Rocket Lawyer, you aren't just filling out a Power of Attorney template. If you ever require support from a lawyer, your Premium membership offers up to a 40% discount when you hire an attorney from our On Call network.

Upon finishing a document, you can see it wherever and whenever you choose. You also can engage with the document in all of these ways: making edits, saving it as a Word document or PDF file, printing it, and signing it. Your Power of Attorney will come with a checklist of recommended actions you can take to finalize the document. You will need to give a copy of your fully signed document to your agent(s), care providers, and other impacted parties.

The guidelines and restrictions governing PoA forms are different by state; however, in Ohio, your Power of Attorney will require the signatures of two witnesses or a notary public. Witnesses to this PoA cannot be your attending physician or an administrator of the nursing home where you reside, or spouse, adoptee, or other relative. As a basic rule, witnesses should be 18 years old or older, and none of them should also be your Power of Attorney agent.

See Ohio Healthcare Power of Attorney law: § 1337.13