Your agent should be a competent adult, who fully understands your desires and beliefs related to your health care or finances, is completely trustworthy, and is willing to accept responsibility for making decisions. A family member is usually designated to serve because they are familiar with your wishes regarding your health care and can be trusted to handle your assets carefully. Your agent does not need to live in the same city as you do, but in the event of incapacity, it is important that your agent be available to help. A power of attorney should name a co-agent or a successor agent to act if your primary agent cannot serve.