Healthcare POA can be a very ugly thing though. If there is hostility between daughter and live-in, then whoever has the POA has the legal right to forbid the other from visiting said dying beloved hospital patient. In a situation of marriage, the spouse doesn't have the right to forbid a blood relative from visiting, and vice versa. They can go through the process of getting a court order, but being married to someone - or being someone's daughter - doesn't automatically convey the right to forbid the other spouse or daughter. I'm using spouse and daughter as the hypothetical just to keep it consistent - apply whoever you want - siblings, mother and son - anyone considered "immediate family" plus legally wed spouse.
This is actually one of the (many) reasons marriage equality is such a big deal with regards to the LGBTQ community. Being legally recognized as a spouse means they can rest easy knowing that if something should happen to their loved one, they have the right to care for them, visit them, see to their comfort, and yes - even see to their final moments.
APOLOGIES THAT THIS IS OFF TOPIC! Maybe we could move this part of the conversation to a new topic?
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