Advance Health Care Directives and Health Care Decision Making for Incompetent Patients

Act 169 of 2006, which took effect in January 2007, provides a comprehensive statutory framework governing advance health care directives and health care decision-making for incompetent patients.

Act 169 provides for health care decisions to made for an incompetent patient through:
  • Instructions in the patient's living will
  • Directions from a health care agent appointed in the patient's health care power of attorney
  • Directions from a close family member or other health care representative

Publication: Advance Health Care Directives and Health Care Decision Making for Incompetent Patients

This guide is intended to help medical staff develop policies and procedures that are compliant with Act 169. State Society members can order a printed copy of  Advance Health Care Directives and Health Care Decision Making for Incompetent Patients through our online store or can download the PDF below.


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Comments: 1


My mother has had a massive stroke nearly one month ago. She was vaguely responsive in the hospital and was given a gastric tube as she was unable to talk or swallow. Since then she has become unresponsive, perhaps due to another stroke and is now in a nursing home. We have found her living will which states she did not want to have tube feeding or any other artificial device to keep her alive. Does her situation fall into the definition of end stage?

anonymous at 1/6/2011 8:06:32 PM

Last Updated: 4/7/2010
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