Why a healthcare power of attorney?

If you want to know why - and get a taste too of the problems wielding a health care power of attorney, then read the The Boston Globe's Families grapple with anguish of DNR orders:

"For families facing the impending death of a loved one, few topics trigger more anguish than the Do Not Resuscitate order. The subject can be so painful that relatives and doctors wait too long, until the patient's mental capacity wanes and the tough decision is left to family members. There is little ambiguity in a DNR order: Emergency medical staff must withhold CPR and other life-reviving treatments if the patient's heart or breathing stops, allowing death."