§ 19a-575a — Form of document re health care instructions, appointment of health care representative, designation of conservator for future incapacity and anatomical gift. Revocation of appointment. Absence of knowledge of revocation.

Connecticut § 19a-575a

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 19a: Public Health and Well-Being
• Ch. 368w: Removal of Life Support Systems and Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment

Text

(a) Any person eighteen years of age or older may execute a document that contains health care instructions, the appointment of a health care representative, the designation of a conservator of the person for future incapacity and a document of anatomical gift. Any such document shall be signed and dated by the maker with at least two witnesses and may be in the substantially following form: THESE ARE MY HEALTH CARE INSTRUCTIONS. MY APPOINTMENT OF A HEALTH CARE REPRESENTATIVE, THE DESIGNATION OF MY CONSERVATOR OF THE PERSON FOR MY FUTURE INCAPACITY AND MY DOCUMENT OF ANATOMICAL GIFT To any physician or advanced practice registered nurse who is treating me: These are my health care instructions including those concerning the withholding or withdrawal of life support systems, together with the appointment of my health care representative, the designation of my conservator of the person for future incapacity and my document of anatomical gift. As my physician or advanced practice registered nurse, you may rely on these health care instructions and any decision made by my health care representative or conservator of my person, if I am incapacitated to the point when I can no longer actively take part in decisions for my own life, and am unable to direct my physician or advanced practice registered nurse as to my own medical care. I, ...., the author of this document, request that, if my condition is deemed terminal or if I am determined to be permanently unconscious, I be allowed to die and not be kept alive through life support systems. By terminal condition, I mean that I have an incurable or irreversible medical condition which, without the administration of life support systems, will, in the opinion of my attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse, result in death within a relatively short time. By permanently unconscious I mean that I am in a permanent coma or persistent vegetative state which is an irreversible condition in which I am at no time aware of myself or the environment and show no behavioral response to the environment. The life support systems which I do not want include, but are not limited to: Artificial respiration, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and artificial means of providing nutrition and hydration. I do want sufficient pain medication to maintain my physical comfort. I do not intend any direct taking of my life, but only that my dying not be unreasonably prolonged. If I am pregnant: (Place a check to indicate option (1) or (2) or specify alternative instructions after (3)) .... (1) I intend to accept life support systems if my doctor believes that doing so would allow my fetus to reach a live birth. .... (2) I intend this document to apply without modifications. (3) I intend this document to apply as follows: .... I appoint .... to be my health care representative. If my attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse determines that I am unable to understand and appreciate the nature and consequences of health care decisions and unable to reach and communicate an informed decision regarding treatment, my health care representative is authorized to make any and all health care decisions for me, including (1) the decision to accept or refuse any treatment, service or procedure used to diagnose or treat my physical or mental condition, except as otherwise provided by law such as for psychosurgery or shock therapy, as defined in section 17a-540 , and (2) the decision to provide, withhold or withdraw life support systems. I direct my health care representative to make decisions on my behalf in accordance with my wishes, as stated in this document or as otherwise known to my health care representative. In the event my wishes are not clear or a situation arises that I did not anticipate, my health care representative may make a decision in my best interests, based upon what is known of my wishes. If .... is unwilling or unable to serve as my health care representative, I appoint .... to be my alternative health care representative. If a conservator of my person should need to be appointed, I designate .... be appointed my conservator. If .... is unwilling or unable to serve as my conservator, I designate .... to be successor conservator. No bond shall be required of either of them in any jurisdiction. I hereby make this anatomical gift, if medically acceptable, to take effect upon my death. I give: (check one) .... (1) any needed organs or parts .... (2) only the following organs or parts …. to be donated for: (check one) (1) .... any of the purposes stated in subsection (a) of section 19a-289j (2) .... these limited purposes .... These requests, appointments, and designations are made after careful reflection, while I am of sound mind. Any party receiving a duly executed copy or facsimile of this document may rely upon it unless such party has received actual notice of my revocation of it. Date ...., 20.. .... L.S. This document was signed in our presence by .... the author of this document, who appeared to be eighteen years of age or older, of sound mind and able to understand the nature and consequences of health care decisions at the time this document was signed. The author appeared to be under no improper influence. We have subscribed this document in the author's presence and at the author's request and in the presence of each other. .... (Witness) .... (Witness) .... (Number and Street) .... (Number and Street) .... (City, State and Zip Code) .... (City, State and Zip Code) We, the subscribing witnesses, being duly sworn, say that we witnessed the execution of these health care instructions, the appointments of a health care representative, the designation of a conservator for future incapacity and a document of anatomical gift by the author of this document; that the author subscribed, published and declared the same to be the author's instructions, appointments and designation in our presence; that we thereafter subscribed the document as witnesses in the author's presence, at the author's request, and in the presence of each other; that at the time of the execution of said document the author appeared to us to be eighteen years of age or older, of sound mind, able to understand the nature and consequences of said document, and under no improper influence, and we make this affidavit at the author's request this .... day of .... 20... .... (Witness) .... (Witness) Subscribed and sworn to before me this .... day of .... 20.. .... Commissioner of the Superior Court Notary Public My commission expires: .... (Print or type name of all persons signing under all signatures) (b) Except as provided in section 19a-579b , an appointment of health care representative may only be revoked by the declarant, in writing, and the writing shall be signed by the declarant and two witnesses. (c) The attending physician or other health care provider shall make the revocation of an appointment of health care representative a part of the declarant's medical record. (d) In the absence of knowledge of the revocation of an appointment of health care representative, a person who carries out an advance directive pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or discipline for unprofessional conduct for carrying out such advance directive. (e) The revocation of an appointment of health care representative does not, of itself, revoke the living will of the declarant. See Sec. 19a-579a re revocation of living will. See Sec. 19a-579b re revocation of appointment of spouse as health care representative upon divorce or legal separation.

Legislative History

(P.A. 93-407, S. 1; P.A. 06-195, S. 66; P.A. 07-252, S. 19; P.A. 10-123, S. 28; P.A. 14-103, S. 11; P.A. 18-11, S. 2; 18-168, S. 36; P.A. 19-56, S. 8.) History: (Revisor's note: In 2001 the references in this section to the date “199..” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “20..” to reflect the new millennium); P.A. 06-195 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same by conferring authority previously given to health care agent and attorney-in-fact to health care representative, making conforming changes to form of document, specifying when health care representative's decision making authority is triggered, and replacing former Subdivs. (1) to (4) re authorized actions with provisions re authority to make “any and all health care decisions”, and added Subsecs. (b) to (e) re revocation of appointment of health care representative; P.A. 07-252 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdiv. (1) and (2) designators, clarify health care representative's authority to accept or refuse psychosurgery or shock therapy treatment and incorporate definition of shock therapy in Sec. 17a-540; P.A. 10-123 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to Sec. 19a-279f(a) with reference to Sec. 19a-289j(a); P.A. 14-103 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re designation of successor conservator; P.A. 18-11 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re form to include directions for pregnant persons, effective May 24, 2018; P.A. 18-168 added references to advanced practice registered nurse; P.A. 19-56 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective June 28, 2019.