Who Decides When You Cannot
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4.10-2 — a durable power of attorney for health care, on the statute's own form
The General Laws set out a statutory form of durable power of attorney for health care, naming an agent to make health care decisions when the person cannot.
- The person signing is at least eighteen years of age and a resident of the state.
- The agent acts consistently with the person's stated desires.
- Unless the form says otherwise, the agent may consent to stopping treatment needed to keep the person alive.
- No treatment is given over the person's objection at the time, and life sustaining care is not stopped if the person objects at the time.
Those are among the warnings printed on the form itself. The person keeps the right to make their own decisions while able to give informed consent.
A particular form is a question for a licensed Rhode Island attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4.10-2 — Statutory form of durable power of attorney
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Rhode Island attorney.