Powers of Attorney for Health Care Decisions -Information
Power of Attorney A power of attorney is a written document by which one person gives to another person (the attorney-in-fact) the authority to act on behalf of the first person in one or more matters.
Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions In May, 1991, a new Iowa law became effective that allows individuals to confer upon an attorney in fact the authority to make medical and health care decisions on behalf of the person granting the powers. A health care power of attorney essentially takes the place of a guardianship and allows the attorney in fact to make daily health care decisions without court supervision. A recent federal law now requires medical facilities to inform all patients, prior to admission, of the right to sign a living will or a health care power of attorney.
By executing a health care power of attorney, you are authorizing the attorney in fact to make health care decisions on your behalf. Health care decisions mean the consent, refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent to health care. Health care means any care, treatment, service or procedure, the purpose of which is to maintain, diagnose or treat an individual’s physical or mental condition.
It is a good idea to nominate an alternate attorney in fact, in case your first choice is unable or no longer willing to serve as your attorney in fact. However, it is not generally recommended that you appoint co-attorneys in fact. This will avoid potential deadlocks or disputes over health care decisions.
You may revoke a power of attorney at any time. To make an effective revocation, you must communicate your intent to revoke. This communication may be oral or written. The communication should be made to the attorney in fact. However, if a health care provider currently is providing health care services, then you may effectively revoke your power of attorney by communicating your intent to the care provider.
The health care power of attorney allows you to grant to the attorney in fact the authority to make decisions regarding the use of life sustaining procedures. Because of this, it has been said that the execution of a living will memorializes your intent and desire regarding your use of life-sustaining procedures, and not what your attorney in fact thinks you desire. The presence of a living will relieves the attorney in fact from making that difficult decision, if the situation arises.
Source iowabar.org 2-7-2017
Rare snowfall blankets Seattle, closing schools and cutting power -News
More than 100,000 utility customers are without electricity after a snowstorm blanketed Seattle and western Washington on Monday, prompting widespread school closures and flight cancellations.
February 7, 2017 —A rare snowstorm brought about four inches of snow to the Seattle area Monday, prompting road and school closures as well as flight cancellations and power outages as the city worked to combat its heaviest snowstorm in five years.
The storm began Sunday night and continued through the next day, leaving some 100,000 people without power across the Puget Sound region. Others found themselves snowed in, with icy conditions closing roads or delaying trains and flights.
By Tuesday morning, much of the winter storm had subsided. The region is predicted to see mostly dry conditions, with temperatures expected to reach a high of 40 degrees.
But evidence of the unusual snowstorm remains. Early Monday morning, more than 80 flights entering or departing Seattle-Tacoma International Airport had been canceled after the airport saw between three and five inches of snow. The storm affected travel plans for more than 10,000 passengers.
“The conditions are so severe at Sea-Tac that it’s taking our crews 30 to 40 minutes to deice a single plane,” Wayne Newton, Alaska Airlines’ managing director of operations for Seattle, said in a statement early Monday afternoon. “If you don’t have to travel today, it’s a good day to stay home.”
Several Seattle schools saw delayed openings Tuesday morning as crews continued to work to clear roads.
Other Puget Sound regions outside of the Seattle metro area saw more than a foot of snow, with the Cascade Mountains receiving a 30-inch blanketing. The bulk of power outages occurred in the counties surrounding the city, where heavy snowfall damaged power lines.
The storm follows several that have hit Portland, Ore., in recent weeks. Forecasters had expected another to strike the region, but high temperatures turned the snow to rain. Montana saw heavy snowfall as well, with areas along the edge of Glacier National Park bearing the brunt of the storm there.
While the snowfall created hassles for some, the rare snowstorm was a welcome surprise to others in Seattle. Children and parents took advantage of the snow day, sledding in Seattle's hilly Queen Anne neighborhood.
"It's awesome, especially because I had a life-skill test today and now it's delayed until Thursday," 12-year-old Allette Franklin told the Associated Press.
Source csmonitor.com 2-7-2017
Missouri joins 'right to work' movement -News
More than half of all US states have now adopted so-called 'right to work' legislation, which supporters hope will bring new business to state economies.
February 6, 2017 —Missouri became the 28th US state Monday to adopt so-called right to work legislation, whereby employees can no longer be required to pay dues to a labor union, yet are still able to benefit from any deals procured by such a union.
Newly elected Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, who assumed office last month, had campaigned in part on a promise to ensure the law came into being. His predecessor, a Democrat, had opposed the move.
The adoption of a right-to-work law by Missouri is the latest episode in a nationwide struggle between advocates of the right-to-work movement (mostly Republicans) and those who oppose it (mostly Democrats), though analysts say it is difficult to provide conclusive evidence in support of either side.
In celebration of the development in Missouri, Governor Greitens tweeted that the state is “now open for business, & Missourians are ready to work!”
Indeed, it is this very idea – that right-to-work legislation demonstrates a warm welcome for business – that lies at the heart of proponents’ arguments. More specifically, goes the thinking, such a business-friendly climate will attract more jobs and boost economic growth.
Critics counter that the drop in revenue for the unions will strip them of their ability to fight for workers’ rights, inevitably watering down the benefits and the levels of pay that a state’s workers enjoy. In short, while the state’s economy may grow, the plight of the individual may grow worse.
Studies of whether right-to-work (RTW) states do indeed attract more investment, and, conversely, whether they see wages and benefits diminished, have been inconclusive.
“Some studies find RTW boosts job growth, while other studies do not,” writes Timothy Bartik, who is a senior economist at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in Kalamazoo, Mich. “Some studies find RTW reduces wages, while other studies do not.”
"What seems clear," Mark Trumbull wrote for The Christian Science Monitor in early 2015, just as Wisconsin was heading toward RTW status, "is that the volume and tone of the debate over right-to-work laws far outstrips actual certainty about the impact."
Moreover, even when studies do appear to show distinct correlation between RTW legislation and either positive or negative effects, there are so many other economic and demographic factors wrapped up in the state's business data that it is challenging to draw definitive conclusions regarding causation.
Source christiansciencemonitor.com 2-7-2017
