u/Amanda_FreeWill

We hear this one a lot. By the time most families figure out what documents they actually need, they've already missed the easiest version of getting them signed. The POA has to be executed while she still has legal capacity — that's not a medical determination, it's a legal one, and the bar moves faster than most families expect after a diagnosis.

Sometimes they get it done, but it's close. Healthcare POA first, financial POA second. Both matter and they're separate documents. The rest of the caregiving (meals, appointments, housing) can flex. That part can't.

Anyone else seen this with their family?

We hear this one a lot. By the time most families figure out what documents they actually need, they've already missed the easiest version of getting them signed. The POA has to be executed while she still has legal capacity — that's not a medical determination, it's a legal one, and the bar moves faster than most families expect after a diagnosis.

Sometimes they get it done, but it's close. Healthcare POA first, financial POA second. Both matter and they're separate documents. The rest of the caregiving (meals, appointments, housing) can flex. That part can't.

Anyone else seen this with their family?