A power of attorney can be written to take effect immediately upon signing, or only "spring" into effect once you're determined to be incapacitated. The choice matters more for solo agers than most people realize.
Immediately effective
Your agent can act right away, even while you're fully capable. This sounds risky, but for solo agers it often means your agent gets practice handling smaller matters early, building trust and familiarity before a real crisis hits.
Springing
Activates only once a doctor (or two, depending on your document's terms) confirms incapacity. This feels safer to many people, but the determination process can cause delays exactly when speed matters most — a real drawback if you don't have a backup person nearby to help clear that hurdle quickly.
Many elder law attorneys recommend immediately effective POAs for solo agers specifically because there's no family member on hand to help navigate the incapacity determination that a springing POA requires.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Discuss which structure fits your situation with an elder law attorney.