A living will is used to declare your desire to not have life-prolonging measures be taken if there is no hope of recovery, for example, in the event of a brain death or terminal illness. It is used for deathbed concerns.
A last will and testament outlines what to do with possessions, whether the deceased will leave them to another person, a group or donate them to charity, and what happens to other things he or she is responsible for, such as custody of dependents, and management of accounts and interests.
A general power of attorney gives broad powers to a person or organization to act in your behalf. These powers include handling financial and business transactions, buying life insurance, settling claims, operating business interests, making gifts, and employing professional help.
A special power of attorney can be used to specify exactly what powers an agent may exercise by signing a special power of attorney. This is often used when one cannot handle certain affairs due to other commitments or health reasons.
A health care power of attorney grants your agent authority to make medical decisions for you if you are unconscious, mentally incompetent, or otherwise unable to make decisions on your own.
A durable power of attorney for healthcare, on the other hand, covers all health care decisions, and lasts only as long as you are incapable of making decisions for yourself. It is called “durable” because it does not terminate if you become disabled or incapacitated. You can set out specific provisions in the Power of Attorney telling your agent how you would like them to act in regards to deathbed issues.