How do I make a Power of Attorney for Personal Care?
A is a legal document that lets you choose someone to make decisions about your personal care if you become . This is sometimes called a “personal power of attorney”.
This includes:
- decisions about your personal care, such as where you live, what you eat, getting dressed, washing and having a bath, and staying safe
- decisions about your health care that deal with:
- health-care treatments
- moving into a long-term care home
- personal care services in a long-term care home
You’re called the grantor. The person you name is called your attorney. Your attorney can be a family member, a close friend, or anyone else you trust.
Your attorney can only make decisions for you that you’re not capable of making yourself.
You may be capable of making some personal care decisions and not others. For example, you might be able to take care of your bathing and getting dressed, but not able to make decisions about where you live.
You can make a Power of Attorney for Personal Care if you’re 16 years of age or older and .
Get legal help
For legal advice or help with a Power of Attorney for Personal Care, you can talk to an estates lawyer.
If you have a low income, some community legal clinics may be able to give you free legal advice about your Powers of Attorney.
If you have a low income and live in the Kingston area, you may be able to get help from the Queen’s University Elder Law Clinic.
If you’re not eligible to get help from a community legal clinic and cannot afford to hire a lawyer, there are services such as Axess Law that offer legal services at lower rates.
Pro Bono Ontario’s free legal advice hotline can give you up to 30 minutes of free legal advice about creating Powers of Attorney. Call 1-855-255-7256.
