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Powers of attorney: How to protect yourself from sudden risks!
Find out why powers of attorney are crucial in the Uckermark - insights from expert Janet Tank on legal support.
Powers of attorney: How to protect yourself from sudden risks!
What happens when life takes an unexpected turn? What if a simple “goodbye” could become the final farewell? In Germany, this has serious consequences for many people, as dealing with pension law issues is often put off. Janet Tank (49), legal guardian in the Uckermark, has experienced this again and again and would like to wake up the population. According to nordkurier.de, 1.3 million people are currently under legal care, while only around 40% have a power of attorney for health care - mostly from older people. This is alarming.
Unfortunately, many people trust that verbal agreements are sufficient and often postpone dealing with this issue until later. However, if an accident occurs or the heart fails, a legal guardian is often appointed - a situation that can be avoided. The legal framework is changing – for example, a new spousal representation law has been in effect since January 1, 2023. But that alone is not enough. Married couples are still strongly advised to create a power of attorney for health care. There is a lot of helpful information about this, as summarized in gesund.bund.de.
Important documents for emergencies
A power of attorney authorizes a selected person to act on your behalf in legal, financial and health matters. You should only authorize someone you trust completely. It is also important to note that it is entirely possible to name multiple people, and in the event of misuse, control measures can be implemented.
- Gesundheit und Pflegebedürftigkeit
- Aufenthalt und Wohnen
- Vertretung bei Behörden und vor Gericht
- Vermögenssorge
These points should be clearly stated in the power of attorney. A crucial point is also the possibility of creating a care order. This allows you to name a trustworthy acquaintance or neighbor as a caregiver and document the type of care you want. This is where Janet Tank and her colleagues come into play: They offer free advice on precautionary measures and advise everyone to think intensively about this topic.
Awareness initiatives
In order to increase awareness of these important issues, the consumer advice center is organizing a focus week from November 3rd to 7th under the motto “Precaution”. Here, citizens are informed and sensitized so that no one ends up in an emergency because they accidentally did not take precautions.