When you cannot make your own medical decisions because of an illness or injury, a healthcare proxy will determine what happens. This document gives power to an individual who can then make these important choices on your behalf.
Of course, it makes sense that older adults often have a healthcare proxy in place. But what about younger adults? Should adults in their 20s have a healthcare proxy?
What is a healthcare proxy?
Tufts Medical Center explains that any adult could benefit from having a healthcare proxy, including those in their 20s. The overall reason for this is quite simple: no one knows how long their good health lasts. Even though young people have a lower rate of dangerous injury or deadly illness, that does not render it a complete impossibility.
Having a healthcare proxy allows you the space to dictate what will happen to you while you are still in a clear state of mind. If you have strong opinions about medical treatments, this is where you can memorialize it and ensure that you will get your preferred treatment even if you have fallen into a coma.
Alleviating burdens on your family
Finally, you do not want to leave any additional burdens on your family. Dealing with a sick or injured loved one will already create pressure and hardships for them. The last thing you want is to leave your family dealing with difficult decisions. If you lay out exactly what you want to happen in your healthcare proxy, it gives them a clear and unambiguous set of instructions to follow. This will lower the chances of arguments occurring and help your care go smoothly.
