No long-term care plan is complete without an Enduring Power of Attorney. This document allows you to nominate, in writing, a specific individual (or group of individuals) to make health and financial decisions on your behalf if you are no longer capable of doing so. The problem that some families encounter is that they only realize the need for this document after their loved one has lost mental capacity. That is too late. You need to make arrangements before incapacitation occurs – whether it is due to age, sickness, or an accident.