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Table of Contents | Table of Legal Forms | Health Section | Latin Recipes SectionProbate Code
General Power of Attorney Form


Warning!!! this page is under construction - the form herein has not been edited -it will be completed in about four days - if you need a copy immediately consult the particular code section at you library that carries California Codes -Code publishers are West Publishing and Deerings Publishers [10/31/00]

Note: The Power of Attorney Health Care below relates specifically to health care decisions. It does not cover business and personal affairs and transactions. For a general power of attorney click: 
General Power of Attorney Form

UNIFORM HEALTH CARE DECISIONS ACT

An advance health care directive that conflicts with an earlier advance directive revokes the earlier advance directive to the extent of the conflict. (Added by Stats.1999, c. 658 (A.8.891), § 39, operative July 1, 2000.)

Source of Statutory Power of Attorney Health Care

Probate Code: CHAPTER 2. ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE FORMS

Sections

§ 4700. Use of particular form not required; effect of form or other writing

Operative July 1, 2000.

The form provided in Section 4701 may, but need not, be used to create an advance health care directive. The other sections of this division govern the effect of the form or any other writing used to create an advance health care directive. An individual may complete or modify all or any part of the form in Section 4701. (Added by Stats.1999, c. 658 (A.B.891), § 39, operative July 1, 2000.)

For another section of this number, see Part 4, Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care, ante.

§ 4701. Statutory form

Operative July 1, 2000.

The statutory advance health care directive form is as follows:

ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE

(California Probate Code Section 4701)

Explanation

You have the right to give instructions about your own health care. You also have the right to name someone else to make health care decisions for you. This form lets you do either or both of these things. It also lets you express your wishes regarding donation of organs and the designation of your primary physician. If you use this form, you may complete or modify all or any part of it. You are free to use a different form.

Part 1 of this form is a power of attorney for health care. Part 1 lets you name another individual as agent to make health care decisions for you if you become incapable of making your own decisions or if you want someone else to make those decisions for you now even though you are still capable. You may also name an alternate agent to act for you if your first choice is not willing, able, or reasonably available to make decisions for you. (Your agent may not be an operator or employee of a community care facility or a residential care facility where you are receiving care, or your supervising health care provider or employee of the health care institution where you are receiving care, unless your agent is related to you or is a coworker.)

Unless the form you sign limits the authority of your agent, your agent may make all health care decisions for you. This form has a place for you to limit the authority of your agent. You need not limit the authority of your agent if you wish to rely on your agent for all health care decisions that may have to be made. If you choose not to limit the authority of your agent, your agent will have the right to:

    (a) Consent or refuse consent to any care, treatment, service, or procedure to maintain,      
    diagnose, or otherwise affect a physical or mental condition.

    (b) Select or discharge health care providers and institutions.

    (c) Approve or disapprove diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, and programs of 
    medication.

    (d) Direct the provision, withholding, or withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration and 
    all other forms of health care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

(e) Make anatomical gifts, authorize an autopsy, and direct disposition of remains.

Part 2 of this form lets you give specific instructions about any aspect of your health care, whether or not you appoint an agent. Choices are provided for you to express your wishes regarding the provision, withholding, or withdrawal of treatment to keep you alive, as well as the provision of pain relief. Space is also provided for you to add to the choices you have made or for you to write out any additional wishes. If you are satisfied to allow your agent to determine what is best for you in making end-of-life decisions, you need not fill out Part 2 of this form.

Part 3 of this form lets you express an intention to donate your bodily organs and tissues following your death.

Part 4 of this form lets you designate a physician to have primary responsibility for your health care.

After completing this form, sign and date the form at the end. The form must be signed by two qualified witnesses or acknowledged before a notary public. Give a copy of the signed and completed form to your physician, to any other health care providers you may have, to any health care institution at which you are receiving care, and to any health care agents you have named. You should talk to the person you have named as agent to make sure that he or she understands your wishes and is willing to take the responsibility.

You have the right to revoke this advance health care directive or replace this form at any time.

POWERS OF ATTORNEY

POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE

(1.1) DESIGNATION OF AGENT: I designate the following individual as my agent to make health car, decisions 
for me:

__________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                          (name of individual you choose as agent)

__________________________________________________________________________________________
                        (address)                              (city)                          (state)                                  (ZIP Code)

__________________________________________________________________________________________
                       (home phone)                                                                                                        (work phone)

OPTIONAL: If I revoke my agent's authority or if my agent is not willing, able, or reasonably available to make a health care decision for me, I designate as my first alternate agent:

__________________________________________________________________________________________
                                               (name of individual you choose as first alternate agent)

__________________________________________________________________________________________
   (address)                               (city)                                   (state)                                                 (ZIP Code)

__________________________________________________________________________________________
               (home phone)                                                                                                                (work phone)

OPTIONAL: If 1 revoke the authority of my agent and first alternate agent or if neither is willing, able, or reasonably available to make a health care decision for me, I designate as my second alternate agent:

__________________________________________________________________________________________
(name of individual you choose as second alternate agent)

__________________________________________________________________________________________
(address) (city) (state) (ZIP Code)

__________________________________________________________________________________________
(home phone)  (work phone)

(1.2) AGENT'S AUTHORITY: My agent is authorized to make all health care decisions for me, including decisions to provide, withhold, or withdraw artificial nutrition and hydration and all other forms of health care to keep me alive, except as 1 state here:

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                    (Add additional sheets if needed.)

(1.3) WHEN AGENT'S AUTHORITY BECOMES EFFECTIVE: My agent's authority becomes effective when my primary physician determines that 1 am unable to make my own health care decisions unless 1 mark the following box. If I mark this box [‑], my agent's authority to make health care decisions for me takes effect immediately.

(1.4) AGENT'S OBLIGATION: My agent shall make health care decisions for me in accordance with this power of attorney for health care, any instructions I give in Part 2 of this form, and my other wishes to the extent known to my agent. To the extent my wishes are unknown, my agent shall make health care decisions for me in accordance with what my agent determines to be in my best interest. In determining my best interest, my agent shall consider my personal values to the extent known to my agent.

(1.5) AGENT'S POST DEATH AUTHORITY
: My agent is authorized to make anatomical gifts, authorize an autopsy, and direct disposition of my remains, except as I state here or in Part 3 of this form:

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
                                            (Add additional sheets if needed.)

(1.6) NOMINATION OF CONSERVATOR: if a conservator of my person needs to be appointed for me by a court. I nominate the agent designated in this form. If that agent is not willing, able, or reasonably available to act as conservator, I nominate the alternate agents whom 1 have named, in the order designated.

PART 2

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE

If you fill out this part of the form, you may strike any wording you do not want.

(2.1) END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS: 1 direct that my health care providers and others involved in my care provide, withhold, or withdraw treatment in accordance with the choice 1 have marked below:

p (a) Choice Not To Prolong Life

I do not want my life to be prolonged if (1) I have an incurable and irreversible condition that will result in my death within a relatively short time, (2) I become unconscious and, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, I will not regain consciousness, or (3) the likely risks and burdens of treatment would outweigh the expected benefits, OR

p (b) Choice To Prolong Life

1 want my life to be prolonged as long as possible within the limits of generally accepted health care standards.

(2.2) RELIEF FROM PAIN: Except as I state in the following space, I direct that treatment for alleviation of pain or discomfort be provided at all times, even if it hastens my death:

(Add additional sheets if needed.)

(2.3) OTHER WISHES: (If you do not agree with any of the optional choices above and wish to write your own, or if you wish to add to the instructions you have given above, you may do so here.) I direct that:

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                            (Add additional sheets if needed.)

PART 3 
DONATION OF ORGANS AT DEATH (OPTIONAL)

(3.1) Upon my death (mark applicable box):

     p (a) I give any needed organs, tissues, or parts, OR

     p (b) I give the following organs, tissues, or parts only.

     p (c) My gift is for the following purposes (strike any of  the following you do not want)  

               
(1) Transplant  
               
(2) Therapy  
               
(3) Research  
               
(4) Education

PART 4 
PRIMARY PHYSICIAN 
(OPTIONAL)

(4.1) I designate the following physician as my primary 3 physician.

__________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                        (name of physician)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                             (address) (city) (state) (ZIP Code)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                (phone)

OPTIONAL: If the physician 1 have designated above is not willing, able, or reasonably available to act as my primary physician, I designate  the following physician as my primary physician: __________________________________________________________________________________________                                                                       
                                                                (name of physician)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                (address) (city) (state)  (ZIP Code)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                            (phone

                                              *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  


PART 5

(5.1) EFFECT OF COPY: A copy of this form has the same effects 5 the original.

(5.2) SIGNATURE: Sign and date the form here:

_____________________________________          _______________________________________________
                                (date)                                                                         (sign your name)
_____________________________________         ________________________________________________
                            (address)                                                                                 (print your name)
_____________________________________
           (city)                                   (state)

(5.3) STATEMENT OF WITNESSES: I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of California (1) that the individual who signed or acknowledged this advance health care directive is personally known to me, or that the individual's identity was proven to me by convincing evidence, (2) that the individual signed or acknowledged this advance directive in my presence, (3) that the individual appears to be of sound mind and under no duress, fraud, or undue influence, (4) that 1 am not a person appointed as agent by this advance directive, and (5) that I am not the individual's health care provider, an employee of the individual's health care provider, the operator of a community care facility, an employee of an operator of a community care facility, the operator of a residential care facility for the elderly, nor an employee of an operator of a residential care facility for the elderly.

___________________________________                   __________________________________________
First witness                                                                                  Second witness
______________________________________             _____________________________________________
(print name)                                                                                                  (print name)
______________________________________              ______________________________________  
(address)                                                                                          (address)
______________________________________      ______________________________________  
(city) (state)                                                                                     (city)  (state)
______________________________________     ______________________________________  
(signature of witness)                                                                  (signature of witness)
______________________________________     ______________________________________  
                            (date)
                                                                        (date)

(5.4) ADDITIONAL STATEMENT OF WITNESSES: At least one of the above witnesses must also sign the following declaration:

I further declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of California that I am not related to the individual executing this advance health care directive by blood, marriage, or adoption, and to the best of my knowledge, I am not entitled to any part of the individual's estate upon his or her death under a will now existing or by operation of law.

______________________________________                        ______________________________________  
(signature of witness)                                                                                    (signature of witness)

PART 6   

                                        SPECIAL WITNESS STATEMENT

(6.1) The following statement is required only if you are a patient in a skilled nursing facility‑‑a health care facility that provides the following basic services: skilled nursing care and supportive care to patients whose primary need is for availability of skilled nursing care on an extended basis. The patient advocate or ombudsman must sign the following statement:

                                       STATEMENT OF PATIENT ADVOCATE OR OMBUDSMAN

1 declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of California that I am a patient advocate or ombudsman as designated by the State Department of Aging and that I am serving as a witness as required by Section 4675 of the Probate Code
_
______________________________________                        ______________________________________  
                              (date)                                                                                        (sign your name)
______________________________________                        ______________________________________  
                            (address)                                                                                   (print your name)


                                                                                LEGAL REFERENCES

 

Legislative Provisions

Probate Code

PJJJJJ

California Probate Code Table of Contents

PART 5

For Part 5 judicial proceedings concerning powers of attorney , of division 4.5, see Probate Code Section 4900 et seq.

(Added by Stats.1999, c. 658 (A.B.891), § 39, operative July 1, 2000.)

Division 4.7

HEALTH CARE DECISIONS

Part                                                             Section

 1. Definitions and General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4600

 2. Uniform Health Care Decisions Act . . . . . 4670

 3. Judicial Proceedings 4750

 4. Request to Forgo Resuscitative Measures 4780

 5. Advance Health Care Directive Registry . 4800

Part 1

DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL

Chapter  Section

1. Short Title and Definitions  4600

 2. General Provisions  46.50

3. Transitional Provisions . . .  4665

CHAPTER 1. SHORT TITLE AND DEFINITIONS

Section

4600. Short title.

4603. Definitions governing construction of this division.

4605. Advance health care directive.

4607. Agent.

4609. Capacity.

4611. Community care facility.

4613. Conservator.

4615. Health care.

4617. Health care decision.

4619. Health care institution.

4621. Health care provider.

4623. Individual health care instruction.

4625. Patient.

4627. Physician.

4629. Power of attorney for health care.

4631. Primary physician.

4633. Principal.

4635. Reasonably available.

4637. Residential care facility for the elderly.

4639. Skilled nursing facility.

4641. Supervising health care provider.

4643. Surrogate.

§ 4600. Short title

Operative July 1, 2000.

This division may be cited as the Health Care Decisions

Law. (Added by Stats.1999, c. 658 (A.R891), § 39, operative July], 2000.)

For another section of this number, see Part 4, Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care, ante.

§ 4603. Definitions governing construction of this division

Operative July 1, 2000.

Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, the

definitions in this chapter govern the construction of this

 

For another section of this number, see Pan 4,

Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care, ante.

§§ 4702 to 4704. Editorial Note

For sections of these numbers, see Part 4, Durable  Powers of Attorney for Health Care, ante.

CHAPTER 3. HEALTH CARE SURROGATES

Section 4711. Designation of surrogate. 4714. Decisions based on patient's best interests. 4715. Disqualification of person from acting as surrogate.

 

§ 4711. Designation of surrogate

Operative July 1, 2000.

A patient may designate an adult as a surrogate to make health care decisions by personally informing the supervising health care provider. An oral designation of a surrogate shall be promptly recorded in the patient's health care record and is effective only during the course of treatment or illness or during the stay in the health care institution when the designation is made. (Added by Stats.1999, c. 658 (A.B.891), § 39, operative July 1, 2000.)

 

§ 4714. Decisions based on patient's best interests

Operative July 1, 2000.

A surrogate, including a person acting as a surrogate, shall make a health care decision in accordance with the patient's individual health care instructions, if any, and other wishes to the extent known to the surrogate. Otherwise, the surrogate shall make the decision in accordance with the surrogate's determination of the patient's best interest. In determining the patient's best interest, the surrogate shall consider the patient's personal values to the extent known to the surrogate. (Added by Stats.1999, c. 658 (A.R891), § 39, operative July 1, 2000.)

§ 4715. Disqualification of person from acting as surrogate

Operative July 1, 2000.

A patient having capacity at any time may disqualify another person, including a member of the patient's family, from acting as the patient's surrogate by a signed writing or by personally informing the supervising health care provider of the disqualification. (Added by Stats. 1999, c. 658 (A.B.891), § 39, operative July 1, 2000.)

§§ 4720 to 4727. Editorial Note

For sections of these numbers, see Part 4, Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care, ante.

CHAPTER 4. DUTIES OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Section

4730. Communication to patient.

4731. Recording of information in patient's health care record; notification to agent or surrogate regarding revocation or disqualification.

4732. Primary physician; duty to record information regarding patient's capacity.

251