North Dakota Health Care Directive
I
______________________________________________ understand this document allows
me to do ONE OR ALL of the following:
PART I: Name another person
(called the health care agent) to make health care decisions for me if I am
unable to make and communicate health care decisions for myself. My health care
agent must make health care decisions for me based on the instructions I provide
in this document (Part II), if any, the wishes I have made known to him or her,
or my agent must act in my best interest if I have not made my health care
wishes known.
AND/OR
PART II: Give health care
instructions to guide others making health care decisions for me. If I have
named a health care agent, these instructions are to be used by the agent. These
instructions may also be used by my health care providers, others assisting with
my health care and my family, in the event I cannot make and communicate
decisions for myself.
AND/OR
PART III: Allows me to make an
organ and tissue donation upon my death by signing a document of anatomical
gift.
PART I: APPOINTMENT OF
HEALTH CARE AGENT
THIS IS WHO I WANT TO MAKE
HEALTH CARE DECISIONS FOR ME IF I AM UNABLE TO MAKE AND COMMUNICATE HEALTH CARE
DECISIONS FOR MYSELF
(I know I can change my
agent or alternate agent at any time and I know I do not have to appoint an
agent or an alternate agent.)
NOTE: If you appoint an agent,
you should discuss this health care directive with your agent and give your
agent a copy. If you do not wish to appoint an agent, you may leave Part I blank
and go to Part II and/or Part III. None of the following may be designated as
your agent: your treating health care provider, a nonrelative employee of your
treating health care provider, an operator of a long-term care facility, or a
nonrelative employee of a long-term care facility.
When I am unable to make and
communicate health care decisions for myself, I trust and appoint
______________________________________________ to make health care decisions for
me. This person is called my health care agent.
Relationship of my health care
agent to me: ______________________________________
Telephone number of my health
care agent: ______________________________________
Address of my health care
agent: ______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
(OPTIONAL) APPOINTMENT OF ALTERNATE HEALTH CARE AGENT: If my health care
agent is not reasonably available, I trust and appoint
________________________________
_________________________________ to be my health care agent instead.
Relationship of my alternate
health care agent to me: ________________________________
Telephone number of my
alternate health care agent: ________________________________
Address of
my alternate health care agent: ________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
THIS IS WHAT I WANT MY HEALTH
CARE AGENT TO BE ABLE TO DO IF I AM UNABLE TO MAKE AND COMMUNICATE HEALTH CARE
DECISIONS FOR MYSELF
(I know I can change these
choices.)
My health care agent is
automatically given the powers listed below in (A) through (D). My health care
agent must follow my health care instructions in this document or any other
instructions I have given to my agent. If I have not given health care
instructions, then my agent must act in my best interest.
Whenever I am unable to make
and communicate health care decisions for myself, my health care agent has the
power to:
(A) Make any health care
decision for me. This includes the power to give, refuse, or withdraw consent
to any care, treatment, service, or procedures. This includes deciding whether
to stop or not start health care that is keeping me or might keep me alive and
deciding about mental health treatment.
(B) Choose my health care
providers.
(C) Choose where I live and
receive care and support when whose choices relate to my health care needs.
(D) Review my medical records
and have the same rights that I would have to give my medical records to other
people.
If I DO NOT want my health care
agent to have a power listed above in (A) through (D) OR if I want to LIMIT any
power in (A) through (D), I MUST say that here:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
My health care agent is NOT
automatically given the powers listed below in (1) and (2). If I WANT my agent
to have any of the powers in (1) and (2), I must INITIAL the line in front of
the power; then my agent WILL HAVE that power.
[ ______ ] (1) To decide whether
to donate any parts of my body, including organs, tissues, and eyes, when I die.
[ ______ ] (2) To decide what
will happen with my body when I die (burial, cremation).
If I want to say anything more
about my health care agent's powers or limits on the powers, I can say it here:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
PART II: HEALTH CARE
INSTRUCTIONS
NOTE: Complete this Part II if
you wish to give health care instructions. If you appointed an agent in Part I,
completing this Part II is optional but would be very helpful to your agent.
However, if you chose not to appoint an agent in Part I, you MUST complete, at a
minimum, Part II (B) if you wish to make a valid health care directive.
These are instructions for my
health care when I am unable to make and communicate health care decisions for
myself. These instructions must be followed (so long as they address my needs).
(A) THESE ARE MY BELIEFS AND
VALUES ABOUT MY HEALTH CARE
(I know I can change these
choices or leave any of them blank.)
I want you to know these things
about me to help you make decisions about my health care:
My goals for my health care:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
My fears about my health care:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
My spiritual or religious
beliefs and traditions:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
My beliefs about when life
would be no longer worth living:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
My thoughts about how my
medical condition might affect my family:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
(B) THIS IS WHAT I WANT AND
DO NOT WANT FOR MY HEALTH CARE
(I know I can change these
choices or leave any of them blank.)
Many medical treatments may be
used to try to improve my medical condition or to prolong my life. Examples
include artificial breathing by a machine connected to a tube in the lungs,
artificial feeding or fluids through tubes, attempts to start a stopped heart,
surgeries, dialysis, antibiotics, and blood transfusions. Most medical
treatments can be tried for a while and then stopped if they do not help.
I have
these views about my health care in these situations:
(Note: You can discuss general
feelings, specific treatments, or leave any of them blank.)
If I had a reasonable chance of
recovery and were temporarily unable to make and communicate health care
decisions for myself, I would want:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
If I were dying and unable to
make and communicate health care decisions for myself, I would want:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
If I were permanently
unconscious and unable to make and communicate health care decisions for myself,
I would want:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
If I were completely dependent
on others for my care and unable to make and communicate health care decisions
for myself, I would want:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
In all circumstances, my
doctors will try to keep me comfortable and reduce my pain. This is how I feel
about pain relief if it would affect my alertness or if it could shorten my
life:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
There are other things that I
want or do not want for my health care, if possible:
Who I would like to be my
doctor:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Where I would like to live to
receive health care:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Where I would like to die and
other wishes I have about dying:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
My wishes about what happens to
my body when I die (cremation, burial):
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Any other things:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
PART III: MAKING AN
ANATOMICAL GIFT
I would like to be an organ
donor at the time of my death. I have told my family my decision and ask my
family to honor my wishes. I wish to donate the following (initial one
statement):
[ ______ ] Any needed organs
and tissue.
[ ______ ] Only the following
organs and tissue: __________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
PART IV: MAKING THE DOCUMENT
LEGAL
DATE AND SIGNATURE OF PRINCIPAL
(YOU MUST DATE AND SIGN THIS
HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE)
I sign my name to this Health
Care Directive Form on _____________ (date) at ______________________ (city)
______________________ (state).
I revoke any prior health care
directive.
_______________________________________
(you sign
here)
(THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY HEALTH
CARE DIRECTIVE WILL NOT BE VALID UNLESS IT IS NOTARIZED OR SIGNED BY TWO
QUALIFIED WITNESSES WHO ARE PRESENT WHEN YOU SIGN OR ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SIGNATURE.
IF YOU HAVE ATTACHED ANY ADDITIONAL PAGES TO THIS FORM, YOU MUST DATE AND SIGN
EACH OF THE ADDITIONAL PAGES AT THE SAME TIME YOU DATE AND SIGN THIS HEALTH CARE
DIRECTIVE.)
NOTARY PUBLIC OR STATEMENT
OF WITNESSES
This document must be (1)
notarized or (2) witnessed by two qualified adult witnesses. The person
notarizing this document may be an employee of a health care or long-term care
provider providing your care. At least one witness to the execution of the
document must not be a health care or long-term care provider providing you with
direct care or an employee of the health care or long-term care provider
providing you with direct care. None of the following may be used as a notary or
witness:
1. A person you designate as
your agent or alternate agent;
2. Your spouse;
3. A person related to you by
blood, marriage, or adoption;
4. A person entitled to inherit
any part of your estate upon your death; or
5. A person who has, at the
time of executing this document, any claim against your estate.
Option 1: Notary Public
In my presence on _____________
(date), _______________________________ (name of declarant) acknowledged the
declarant's signature on this document or acknowledged that the declarant
directed the person signing this document to sign on the declarant's behalf.
_______________________________________
(Signature of Notary Public)
My commission expires
__________________________ , 20__.
Option 2: Two Witnesses
Witness One:
(1) In my presence on
____________ (date), _________________________________ (name of declarant)
acknowledged the declarant's signature on this document or acknowledged that the
declarant directed the person signing this document to sign on the declarant's
behalf.
(2) I am at least eighteen
years of age.
(3) If I am a health care
provider or an employee of a health care provider giving direct care to the
declarant, I must initial this box: [ ______ ].
I certify that the information
in (1) through (3) is true and correct.
_______________________________________
(Signature of Witness One)
_______________________________________
(Address)
_______________________________________
(City, State, ZIP)
Witness Two:
(1) In my presence on
____________ (date), _________________________________ (name of declarant)
acknowledged the declarant's signature on this document or acknowledged that the
declarant directed the person signing this document to sign on the declarant's
behalf.
(2) I am
at least eighteen years of age.
(3) If I am a health care
provider or an employee of a health care provider giving direct care to the
declarant, I must initial this box: [ ______ ].
I certify that the information
in (1) through (3) is true and correct.
_______________________________________
(Signature of Witness Two)
_______________________________________
(Address)
_______________________________________
(City, State, ZIP)
ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT OF
HEALTH CARE AGENT
I accept this appointment and
agree to serve as agent for health care decisions. I understand I have a duty to
act consistently with the desires of the principal as expressed in this
appointment. I understand that this document gives me authority over health care
decisions for the principal only if the principal becomes incapable
incapacitated. I understand that I must act in good faith in exercising my
authority under this power of attorney. I understand that the principal may
revoke this power of attorney at any time in any manner.
If I choose to withdraw during
the time the principal is competent, I must notify the principal of my decision.
If I choose to withdraw when the principal is incapable of making the
principal's not able to make health care decisions, I must notify the
principal's physician.
___________________________________ _____________
(Signature of Agent)
(Date)
___________________________________ _____________
(Signature of Alternate
Agent) (Date)
PRINCIPAL'S STATEMENT
I have read a written
explanation of the nature and effect of an appointment of a health care agent
that is attached to my health care directive.
Dated this day of
________________, 20____.
___________________________________
(Signature of Principal)
STATEMENT AFFIRMING
EXPLANATION OF DOCUMENT TO
RESIDENT OF LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITY
(Only necessary if person is a
resident of long-term care facility and Part I is completed appointing an
agent. This statement does not need to be completed if the resident has read a
written explanation of the nature and effect of an appointment of a health care
agent and completed the Principal's Statement above.)
I have explained the nature and
effect of this health care directive to _________________________________ (name
of principal) who signed this document and who is a resident of
_____________________________________________ (name and city of facility). I am
(check one of the following):
[ ______ ] A recognized member
of the clergy.
[ ______ ] An attorney licensed
to practice in North Dakota.
[ ______ ] A person designated
by the district court for the county in which the above-named facility is
located.
[ ______ ] A person designated
by the North Dakota Department of Human Services.
Dated on
_______________, 20____.
___________________________________
(Signature)
STATEMENT AFFIRMING
EXPLANATION OF DOCUMENT TO
HOSPITAL PATIENT OR PERSON
BEING ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL
(Only necessary if person is a
patient in a hospital or is being admitted to a hospital and Part I is completed
appointing an agent. This statement does not need to be completed if the patient
or person being admitted has read a written explanation of the nature and effect
of an appointment of a health care agent and completed the Principal's Statement
above.)
I have explained the nature and
effect of this health care directive to _______________________________ (name of
principal) who signed this document and who is a patient or is being admitted as
a patient of __________________________________ (name and city of hospital). I
am (check one of the following):
[ ______ ] An attorney licensed
to practice in North Dakota.
[ ______ ] A person designated
by the hospital to explain the health care directive.
Dated on
_______________, 20____.
___________________________________
(Signature)