Like most people, a 61-year-old man never thought he would have a health crisis. Neither did his family. However, he was struck with a sudden heart attack, followed by complications leading to a brain injury and he became incapacitated. The family was faced with a terrible situation in addition to their father’s health crisis.
The couple had never done any estate planning, nor did they have a Power of Attorney for Health Care. The spouse assumed she would have the legal right to make medical choices for her husband. However, without a POAHC, she had no standing. A recent article from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, “Wisconsin Spouses can’t make medical decisions without this document,” should serve as a wake-up call for families across the country, since this is not a one-state issue.
There is no automatic right to make healthcare decisions for an incapacitated partner. Without having the right estate planning documents in place, a spouse won’t be able to make decisions, pay bills, or transfer money between accounts to ensure the household runs smoothly.
Medical decisions for the man fell into legal limbo and got tangled up in red tape. Instead of focusing on his recovery, they embarked on a legal process that could have easily been avoided with one document.
First, the family had to petition the court for legal authority over his medical care, known as guardianship. This was an expensive, time-consuming and emotionally exhausting process, all going on while they were adjusting to this dramatic change in his health.
To complicate things further, he was not a compliant patient in his altered state. He wandered frequently, and one night, he got out of the hospital on a bitterly cold night. To make matters worse, the hospital couldn’t discharge him to a rehabilitation facility until the court awarded the family guardianship. The family was bombarded with questions about the status of his case, which was scheduled weeks away.
At the same time, there were further problems with the hospital without a designated health care agent. First, the hospital administrators insisted that the patient be discharged to a long-term care facility. They then said the insurance company had stopped paying, so he had to go home. When the family sought help from the county, the hospital threatened to tell the courthouse that the family was neglecting him and threatened the guardianship process.
The hospital reneged on its promise to help provide at-home nursing care when the guardianship process was finally completed. The family was left on their own to find appropriate care.
This nightmare could have been avoided if the couple had an estate plan, including naming a healthcare agent with a Power of Attorney for Healthcare. When he became incapacitated, his wife or adult child could have had the legal authority to make health care decisions on his behalf without the delays, added expense and frustration of court proceedings.
Everyone should have a Power of Attorney for Healthcare, sometimes known as a Healthcare Proxy, to name another person to step in and make decisions for them in case of incapacity. We never know what will happen, even to our healthiest family members. Anyone over age 18 needs to have a POAHC. Talk with your estate planning attorney and take care of this before it’s needed.
Putting your home in a trust is another way to lighten the burden when the unexpected happens. Creating a complete estate plan with documents like a Power of Attorney for Healthcare can protect your family from legal and financial chaos during a medical crisis, ensuring loved ones can act quickly and confidently when every minute matters.
Curious about the responsibilities that come with being named an executor? Click here to explore our recent blog post on this important topic.
Would you like to get your questions about a POAHC answered by a local Iowa estate planning attorney right now? Click here to schedule your free in-person or video conference Strategic Planning Session now!
Reference: Wisconsin Newspaper Association (April 7, 2025) “Wisconsin Spouses can’t make medical decisions without this document”