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What is a Power of Attorney (POA)?
A POA is a legal document that gives someone else the right to make decisions on your behalf when you are unable to make them for yourself. In Ontario there are 3 different types of POA. A POA for personal care (POAPC) covers personal decisions, like healthcare. In your POAPC you can name someone you trust to be your substitute decision maker (SDM). Your SDM will make decisions about your health and personal care if you are to unwell to manage these things for yourself. They make these decisions based on the values and wishes you have shared with them.
What is a living will?
A living will is a record you create (usually a written document, but could be a video recording) to tell others what you would want in the future if you were unable to make personal and healthcare decisions for yourself. Ontario law does not currently use the term “living will”. People may use the term “advance directive” to refer to a written statement about their wishes for future care.
What is the difference between a POA and an advance care plan?
POAs and advance care plans are alike, but there are some important differences:
- A POA is a legal paper that names a specific person (SDM) to act on your behalf.
- An advance care plan is a process of thinking about and communicating broad guidelines to others about the kind of care you might want if you can’t speak or act on your own behalf. It may include a written statement of wishes, or an “advance directive”, but it does not have to.
Learn more about the different POAs, advance directives, and “living wills” by following the "Access Links" on these pages: