Free Colorado Medical Power of Attorney Forms
An ailing senior citizen may eventually lose their mental capacity and ability to decide on their medications and treatments. Before this happens, they should sign a Colorado medical power of attorney (POA). The legal document allows a person, referred to as an agent, to make healthcare decisions on behalf of the patient or principal should they become mentally incompetent.
Colorado Medical Power of Attorney Laws
Colorado Revised Statutes Title 15, Part 13: Uniform Statutory Form Power of Attorney Act - The law contains provisions on how a medical POA is used in Colorado. “The authority of an agent to act on behalf of the principal in consenting to or refusing medical treatment, including artificial nourishment and hydration, may be set forth in a medical durable power of attorney” (Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-14-506).
Signing Requirements in Colorado
The principal must sign the document before a notary public or a person authorized by the law to make such acknowledgments. If the principal is unable to physically sign the document, the law states that the POA “must be signed in the principal's conscious presence by another individual directed by the principal to sign the principal's name on the power of attorney” (Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-14-705).
How To Write a Medical POA in Colorado
A medical POA in Colorado gives the agent permission to make healthcare decisions on behalf of the principal. It is always durable, which means that the authority remains in place when the principal becomes incapacitated. Here are the steps to creating one:
1. Choose Your Agent
The agent will have an important role in your healthcare, so you have to pick someone you trust with your life. This is why most principals choose family members such as their spouse, child, or sibling. However, anyone can be your agent as long as they are willing to take on the responsibilities.
2. Discuss Responsibilities and Compensation
Before an agent accepts their role, their responsibilities and compensation must be discussed with them. The agent will be tasked with approving medications, treatments, surgeries, and other medical procedures. There may also come a time when the agent has to make end-of-life decisions on your behalf, which is why the role is harder than one might expect.
Most agents don’t accept compensation because they are family members. But receiving compensation is an option, especially for principals who choose agents who aren’t related to them. The goal is to indemnify the agent for time spent away from their careers or personal lives in favor of managing the principal’s healthcare needs. An agent may also be refunded for travel, food, and other expenses incurred while doing their duty.
3. Prepare the Document
After an agent accepts their role and responsibilities, it’s time to create the POA. You can ask a Colorado lawyer to create a POA, but a cheaper option is to download a printable template of a Colorado medical POA. It will already have the standard wording and format acceptable in Colorado. All you need to do is to fill out specific details based on your situation.
4. Sign the Colorado Medical Power of Attorney
The POA must be signed in front of a notary public or a person authorized by law to make legal acknowledgments. In situations where the principal is unable to physically sign the form, they can ask somebody to sign on their behalf as long as express consent is given by the principal.
5. Use the Medical Power of Attorney
The form acts as the agent’s legal authority in Colorado to make healthcare decisions on behalf of the principal. Hence, they must carry a copy of the document every time they make healthcare decisions for the principal. The major decisions an agent may have to make include the principal’s housing, whether they should receive care at home or in a facility, the principal’s diet and nutrition, and the use of life support.