Answer four questions. You will get the exact document name in your country, how to get it, and what to do if capacity has already been lost.
A Power of Attorney is a legal document that lets someone, usually called the donor or principal, formally choose another person, known as their attorney or agent, to make decisions on their behalf if they are ever unable to make those decisions themselves. It sounds simple, but it usually covers two different areas of life. One type deals with financial and property matters, such as paying bills, managing bank accounts, or selling a house. The other deals with personal, medical and health decisions, such as consenting to treatment, choosing where someone lives, or arranging care. Depending on where you live, these can be combined into one document or kept separate, and the names change from country to country. Enduring Power of Attorney, Lasting Power of Attorney, Healthcare Proxy and Advance Directive are all local terms for versions of the same underlying idea.
Here is the part most families miss. A POA can only be set up while the person is still mentally capable of understanding what they are signing. Most people only start thinking about this seriously after a fall, a diagnosis, or a hospital admission, and by then it can already be too late. Setting it up early, while things are calm and nobody is under pressure, is what actually protects a family later. It is one of the few pieces of paperwork where waiting until it feels obviously necessary can mean the window has already closed.
This page gives general information only, not legal advice. Power of Attorney rules, terminology and required forms vary significantly by country, and often by state or province within a country too. Always speak with a qualified solicitor or lawyer, or check with the relevant government body, before signing or relying on any Power of Attorney document.
Nothing you pick here gets saved or sent anywhere — this is just working out which type of Power of Attorney actually fits your situation. Change your answers as many times as you like.
POA documents have different names and different processes in each country. Select the country where the person lives.
You can have separate documents for financial and medical decisions — or one document that covers both. What is your main concern right now?
Capacity means they can understand information, retain it, weigh up the decision, and communicate their choice. A diagnosis of dementia does not automatically mean lost capacity — it depends on the decision and the day.