My Granny lives in Illinois and when she was of sound mind she named me as her secondary PoA.
My Granny was diagnosed with dementia and can no longer make sound decisions for herself.
My Grandfather is her primary but he's allowing me to make the medical decisions for her since his mobility is now limited.
Financial POA should be filed with their bank, Medical would go to health provides like their doctors and hospitals.
You have NO POWER under the law.
Your Grandfather cannot appoint you as the POA. HE is the POA.
When and if you are ever the POA you go to each entity with your documents to prove you are POA. Everyone from banks to MDs must be informed.
2. What decisions do you expect to make, and whose agreement do you need? You'd generally send certification as and when an organization needs to see it (a hospital, her doctor's office, e.g.) and they'll be able to tell you who to address it to. It's no bad thing to have lots of certified copies, by the way.
I can't quite see that limited mobility affects a person's ability to make decisions on behalf of his wife. Just check that you can act without your grandfather's surrendering his POA altogether (again, it should say in the documentation), I'm not sure about that.
The reasons he doesn't want to make the decisions for her is because:
1. He's been making decisions for her and they haven't been conducive.
2. She was the person in their marriage that handled the business and he's either overwhelm or doesn't trust his decision-making skills.
3. He's experiencing elder forgetfulness and needs assistance himself.
The document states that if the agent she selected is unable or do not want to make healthcare decisions for her, then she requested the person she names on the document will be her successor health care agent. That agent is me.
There can be only one agent at a time but my Grandfather is fine with stepping down. But I always keep him in the know.
I just don't want other family members attempting to make decisions for her when they're not authorized. It confuses companies and it looks messy.