Attached is a fillable-form Designation of Health Surrogate PDF that can assist you in designating what you want to have happen in the event you cannot make health decisions for yourself due to incapacity (coma, unconsciousness, serious brain injury). Please read over the form very carefully and modify it as you deem necessary.
You can never anticipate when a devastating event will occur, and so it is never too soon to prepare for these circumstances. KEEP IN MIND: The person you designate as your health surrogate has full authority, in the event you become incapacitated. That is why it is so important to:
- Talk to your primary and alternative surrogates (decision-makers) about what you want to have happen in the event you cannot make health decisions on your own behalf;
- Provide your primary and alternative surrogates with a copy of the attached form once it has been executed. Make sure it is witnessed by two independent persons (who are NOT the primary or alternative surrogates) to give the document as much authority as possible; and
- Create a Living Will form (OPTIONAL) to bolster your surrogate’s authority in the event you are at an end-of-life stage. MAKE SURE YOU DESIGNATE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS ON BOTH FORMS; otherwise, you can create a great deal of confusion once health decisions must be made for you. A Living Will can let your designated health surrogate know whether you want to withhold life-prolonging measures in the event you are terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state.
If you have any questions, please contact Parris Law, PA for more information and to ensure that your wishes are well-documented before the time comes for decisions to be made on your behalf. We are located in Orlando but can assist with estate documents in any county in Florida – not just Orange County.
