Regarding the POA for Medical and financial issues. Does this absolutely have to be done with an attorney?

Go to website: agingwithdignity
here is a legal form
Five Wishes is the first living will that talks about your personal, emotional, spiritual needs as well as your MEDICAL wishes. It was written with the help of the American Bar Assoc's Commision on Law and Aging. This is legal in all states. Several states require notarization. PA doesn't. WE are using this for our mother.

Ours was done with an estate planner and notarized with a neighbor witnessing it.

Attorney fee is money well spent in this case. Laws in this area are tricky, often specific wording must be used. Goes double if there's any possibility of the documents being disputed by other family members. For me it's about preventing my brother from inserting himself into my affairs, and the money I paid my attorney to rewrite docs so that is explicitly stated is more than worth the peace of mind.

If your parent is already showing signs of dementia, having them sign these documents is a big NO NO. Even with mild to moderate dementia, you need to be appointed by the courts. Every asset must be accounted for before the Judge makes a decision.

I took my dad to the legal aid office in his area. They were great & drew up both DPOA & Medical POA. There was no charge. I just made an appointment & took my dad there.

It can be done without a lawyer but it's best to use a local law office who knows the intricacies of you state and local area. There can be differences. Spend the money.

Legal zoom has POAs for every state. They have a good reputation, as far as I know. I wouldn't use them myself. Very few documents are as important. It's just not worth the few hundred dollars one saves by doing it oneself.

Sometimes, the cheap turns out expensive.

The do-it-yourself Power of Attorney, one misplaced word or incorrect sentence could cause a boat load of issues later down the road.