In case of requiring care or in the event of death, it is advisable to establish an advance Patientenverfügung (healthcare directive) and Vorsorgevollmacht (power of attorney). This ensures that your personal wishes are considered and makes it easier for your relatives to act on your behalf in an emergency. Please note that all information below is provided without guarantee. For current information, please refer to the pages of the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection.

With a Patientenverfügung (advance healthcare directive), you can specify instructions for your medical treatment should you no longer be able to express them yourself. The provisions you make in the Patientenverfügung (advance healthcare directive) must be respected by doctors, relatives, or caregivers, provided they clearly indicate your wishes for or against medical treatment. There are various templates available for creating a Patientenverfügung (advance healthcare directive). The Verbraucherzentrale (Consumer Advice Center), for example, offers an online tool for creating a Patientenverfügung (advance healthcare directive). On the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection website, you can also find helpful text modules. If you do not want to draft a Patientenverfügung (advance healthcare directive) on your own, you can also seek advice from your family doctor, for example. Further information on Patientenverfügung (advance healthcare directives) can be found in the brochure ” Patientenverfügung. Wie sichere ich meine Selbstbestimmung in gesundheitlichen Angelegenheiten? ” from the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection.

With a Lasting power of Attorney, you enable one or more persons to act legally on your behalf when you are no longer able to do so, or can only do so partially. An authorized person has extensive powers, which is why you should trust them. It is also possible to grant Lasting power of Attorney to several people, for example, for different areas. There are various templates available for creating a Vorsorgevollmacht (power of attorney). The Verbraucherzentrale (Consumer Advice Center), for example, offers an online tool for creating a Lasting power of Attorney. On the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Production website, you can also find templates (also in multiple languages). If you would like advice on creating your Lasting power of Attorney, you can seek legal or notarial counsel. Further information on Vorsorgevollmacht (power of attorney) can be found in the brochure “Betreuungsrecht” from the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection.

If you are no longer able to manage your legal affairs and there is no Lasting power of attorney for third parties, a guardian will be appointed to you by the Betreuungsgericht (guardianship court). With a guardianship directive, you have the opportunity to express wishes about who should or should not be appointed by the court as a guardian, as guardians, unlike authorized representatives, are usually subject to court supervision. A guardianship directive can be an alternative, for example, if you don’t have a person you trust enough to grant them Lasting power of attorney. There are various templates available for creating a guardianship directive. The Verbraucherschutz (Consumer Advice Center), for example, offers an online tool for creating a care directive. On the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection website, you can also find templates (also in multiple languages). If you would like advice on creating your guardianship directive, you can seek legal or notarial counsel. Further information on guardianship directive can be found in the brochure “Betreuungsrecht” from the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection.