At the age of 63, while Dave was attending one of his many senior events, it was recommended that he fill out a legal POA form. There were three different types of forms that were suggested to him; a health care form, a property form, and a financial form. He was also advised that he should assign the power of attorney role to someone who he trusted completely, both with his investments and his life.

Though Dave had both a son and a daughter, the decision for him was easy. Dave had a much closer relationship with his daughter Anna than he did with his son Thomas. While he loved his son very much, Thomas was not always the trustworthy type. Dave was worried that Thomas might not make decisions in his best interest, and would instead make decisions that would benefit his own selfish needs. After speaking to his daughter Anna, both agreed that she would become his legal power of attorney.

After the first power of attorney form was filled out, Anna received the legal right to care for all of her father’s property affairs in the event that he ever became incapable of making his own decisions. Five years after Dave had filled out his POA forms, he began to develop amnesia. While he could still do basic everyday tasks, Dave was no longer to make decisions on his own.

Once his son Thomas learned of the news, he rushed to speak with his sister to decide what they should do. Of course, they disagreed. Anna thought that it would be best for her father to move into a smaller home, and use the money that they made from the sale to hire a personal caregiver. Because Thomas had wanted to acquire the house after his father’s death, he wanted his father to remain where he was, stating that he was “just fine on his own.”

Luckily, Anna had her father’s property power of attorney form to fall back on. With the help of this form, Anna was able to make whatever decision she wanted, without the permission of her brother. Legally, he had no say. Today, Dave is living in a smaller home, working with three different caregivers. He is still suffering from amnesia, but otherwise lives a happy and healthy life.