Memorial Health System | Memorial Hospital for Children | Foundation | PhysicianLink 
Living Wills & Medical Durable Power of Attorney
Your Right to Make Health Care Decisions
Download the Your Right to Make Health Care Decisions pamphlet (.pdf/91K)
This pamphlet informs you about your right to make health care decisions, including the right to accept or refuse medical treatment. It explains the following advance directives and related subjects:
- Medical Durable Power of Attorney
- Living Wills
- CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (CPR Directive)
- Substitute Decision Makers (Medical Proxies)
- Guardians
Federal law directs that any time you are admitted to any health care facility, or served by certain organizations that receive Medicare or Medicaid money, you must be told about Colorado’s laws concerning your right to make health care decisions. This requirement applies to all adult patients no matter what their medical condition. This pamphlet is designed to provide information about your rights under Colorado law to accept or refuse medical treatment, including life support. These are important personal health care decisions and they deserve careful thought. It’s a good idea to talk about them with your doctor, family, friends, staff members of your health care facility and possibly a lawyer.
You have the right to consent to (accept) or refuse any medical care and treatment, unless care is ordered by a court. In an emergency, your consent to resuscitation, medical care and treatment is assumed. If and when you are unable to make your own decisions, Colorado law allows your guardian or your agent “appointed” or “named” under a medical durable power of attorney to make your health care decisions. In the absence of an advance medical directive or guardian, Colorado law allows a person close to you to be a substitute decision maker (proxy). In the absence of advance directives, Colorado law requires the physician or the physician’s designee to make reasonable efforts to contact those close to the patient for the purpose of seeking a substitute decision maker (proxy).
Medical Durable Power of Attorney and Living Will forms which you can use are included as part of this pamphlet. It should be noted, however, that other forms are also acceptable.
[Source: Colorado Health & Hospital Association, revisions 6/99]