3 qualities every health care agent should have

When you are planning your estate, you may want to think about end-of-life care. With an advance directive, you maintain some control over the methods doctors use to treat you for serious injuries and life-threatening illnesses. You also may want to designate a health care agent. Your health care agent is a person who makes medical decisions for you when you cannot make them for yourself.  Even though Alaska law places few restrictions on who may serve as health care agents, good ones typically have three qualities. 1. Compassion Making medical decisions for someone else is a heavy burden that no health care agent should take lightly. When picking your agent, you may want to look for someone who is compassionate. After all, he or she may need to carefully weigh your chances of having the quality of life you want. Your health care agent should also respect your medical wishes, even if he or she disagrees with them. 2. Intelligence Your health care agent does not need to be a doctor, nurse or another medical professional. Still, he or she should have enough understanding of medical procedures to make informed decisions about your care. This may be particularly true if you have a chronic medical condition. 3. Grit It is not always easy to serve as a health care agent, as advocating for your wishes may anger your family members, friends or doctors. Put simply, your agent should have enough grit to stand up for what you want. While it is common to choose a spouse or another close relative to act as a health care agent, these individuals may not be a good fit. Ultimately, by choosing someone who can do the job effectively, you boost your odds of receiving the care you desire.