STATUTORY HEALTH ATTORNEY
A Statutory Health Attorney is someone with the automatic authority to make health care decisions for a person who cannot make those decisions for themselves.
A Statutory Health Attorney makes decisions for a person when their decision-making ability has been impaired by an intellectual disability and that person has not set out directions for their health care or medical treatment in an Advance Health Directive, or an Enduring Power of Attorney for personal matters.
A person's spouse, carer, close friend or relative can automatically become a Statutory Health Attorney. The Adult Guardian can also be a person's Statutory Health Attorney if that person has no one else to help them should they lose their competence.
If you would like more information on the function of a Statutory Health Attorney click on the following links.
This factsheet provides information on the difference between a Statutory Health Attorney and an Adult Guardian. It considers who can become a Statutory Health Attorney, the types of decisions a Statutory Health Attorney can make, and the appointment of an Adult Guardian if a Statutory Health Attorney is unavailable.
This factsheet looks at who can be appointed as a Statutory Health Attorney, defines the decision making responsibilities of the Statutory Health Attorney, and outlines the types of health care decisions the Statutory Health Attorney can make.
