A person that is appointed to make decisions about healthcare, medical treatments or procedures in the case that person is unable to make these decisions for themselves.

A legal document that names a person or people to make decisions about your healthcare should you not be able to make them for yourself in the future.

A person or agent given legal power to make medical decisions when you no longer can. Also called a Health Care Power of Attorney.

HCP. A type of advance directive that gives a person (such as a relative, lawyer, or friend) the authority to make healthcare decisions for another person. It becomes active when that person loses the ability to make decisions for himself or herself.

A person you appoint as your agent to make healthcare decisions for you if you become unable to do so for yourself.

A person named in a healthcare directive or durable power of attorney for finances to make medical decisions for the person who signed the document, called the principal. A healthcare proxy may also be known as an attorney-in-fact, agent or patient advocate.