What is the easiest way to get a POA activated and who is able to activate it?

Read the POA. Many times it will state that it will become active with a determination by two doctors that he is incapacitated. My mom's did.

I live in NJ and my POA was accepted without any problems. Of course, everyone could tell, Mom had Dementia. People on here have said it needs to be activated in some states. Just contact the lawyer who drew it up. It may just take a letter from him thats its in effect,

My parents' specify it is active without any need to determine incapacity. The lawyer we used made it clears that it should be active immediately since my parents are 90 plus years old. So glad we did it that way when we updated their trust!

My mother POA document stated that the POA could go into effect if Mom was "disabled or incapacitated" and there was NO mention of having to prove incompetency.  So when Mom was hospitalized and then transferred to a nursing home for rehab therapy and then to the memory care unit, I activated my power of POA by notifying the bank, the insurance companies, the Farm Service Association/USDA that Mom was in the nursing home and then giving them a copy of the POA.

Read your FIL's POA document carefully to see what activities the POA can and cannot do and to see what actions need to be taken to activate the POA legally.  If you have any questions, then contact the lawyer who wrote up the POA document.  Each state has their own POA laws, regulations, and requirements, so you need to follow those also.

I didn't really "activate" my POA status, I just showed the POA document to whomever I had to do business with and they accepted the document.

You need to read the POA document. The document will tell you one of three things.
1. You need one doctor to declare the individual incapacitated to trigger the POA.
2. You need two doctor's to declare the individual incapacitated to trigger the POA - most common.
3. The document will say the POA is immediate upon signing.

I see in see in some of the previous posts that others have said they just showed the document and had no problems. This can happen but legally if the the POA has not been triggered they should not be doing this!

I’m having the same issue!!! My brother had fallen and had subdural hematoma and comatose almost 3 weeks. POA for Health was activated. Then he went to long term care for rehab and because I called state inspectors to report his falls with no neuro checks done, Med errors, no dietary assessment (being a tubefeeder) and other major issues. I was the facilities pain in ass!!! So, they had a Psychiatrist assess him and in a five minute interview my brothers POA was deactivated and he is now his “ own person “ but continues with Speech for cognitive and memory loss. What the hell??? Everyone agrees what a mistake this Psychiatrist made

Read the POA - it will state very clearly what the conditions for activation are. In my mom's case the POA was joint non-severable with my brother. Secondly, had to have 2 doctors sign off and what a mess to get that done. Finally got 2 sign offs in the same office -- but that took a few years because her prior dr of 20 yrs was reluctant to sign and new dr only had seen her 2x and was reluctant until APS stepped in an requested. The joint (w/brother) piece was a nightmare because he lives across country. THe good news - he supports whatever my decisions are; the bad news is that some businesses (bank(s)) wanted him present in person for any changes, withdrawels, etc.! And he couldn't revoke his POA part because my silly parents had it written in that neither of us could revoke and turn over to the other (other than death). THey had no idea how much trouble such a clause was going to be.

I learned on this site to put copy of POA on a zip drive -- which has helped at hospitals, dr, offices, etc. Banks will require the original notarized POA.

The last part -- "when can a POA be undone": My parent's included a clause such that should they have restored "capacity" (they get their mind back, recover from stroke, etc.) such that a doctor would deem them "okay and competent" - then the POA is inactivated until such time as parent/person becomes incapacitated, 2 dr sign offs, etc.

My husband has dementia, age 91. I have a POA that was active immediately after he signed it in front of a notary. I have found there are all sorts of strange places that will not do something because the account is in his name. I have sent a copy of the POA to all of our accounts that are in his name.....water department, cable company, etc. This is a straight POA.....we also have one that is strictly health related, as to sustaining life, etc.

i have to switch to my mom now. she is currently doing okay but i made her go to the foot doctor last week and they found something suspicious where her first ulcer came in 2015. i am really worried that she is going to have to go through another amputation and she will need a wheelchair. she refuses to go to physical therapy.? i told her that her legs would feel so much stronger. then my husband is doing basically everything in her bathroom except new plumbing. well in the mean time my brother contract expires 10/31 lee and i want to get the neighbor who is offering a really good bid. she said they would be knocking down her door. not happening. i really like the renter and he is a friend from school. my husband ran all the numbers she keeps saying she knows she knows she knows. get my drift. then she changed her will and all the tillable land is in a trust. my mom said once he gets paid he pays me. that might work if you are speaking. so i guess everything is in this trust. i am getting nervous about this getting a cash renter and her foot is okay and then getting my fil to an assisted living. sorry to vent been a tough day