Life Sustaining Statute, District of Columbia

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Statutory Declaration in Conformance with District of Columbia Natural Death Act of 1981, D.C. Code Section 6-2422

DECLARATION OF __________________

Declaration made this __________ day of ________________ 20________. I, ________________, being of sound mind, willfully and voluntarily make known my desires that my dying shall not be artificially prolonged under the circumstances set forth below, do declare:

If at any time I should have an incurable injury, disease, or illness certified to be a terminal condition by two physicians who have personally examined me, one of whom shall be my attending physician, and the physicians have determined that my death will occur whether or not life- sustaining procedures are utilized and where the application of life-sustaining procedures would serve only to artificially prolong the dying process, I direct that such procedures be withheld or withdrawn, and that I be permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medication or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary to provide me with comfort care or to alleviate pain.

In the absence of my ability to give directions regarding the use of such life-sustaining procedures, it is my intention that this declaration shall be honored by my family and physicians as the final expression of my legal right to refuse medical or surgical treatment and accept the consequences from such refusal.

I understand the full import of this declaration and I am emotionally and mentally competent to make this declaration.

________________________________________

City of residence: _____________________

County of residence: __________________

State of residence: ____________________

Date: __________________________________

I believe the Declarant to be of sound mind. I did not sign the Declarant’s signature above for or at the direction of the Declarant. I am not related to the Declarant by blood or marriage, entitled to any portion of the estate of the Declarant according to the laws of in testate succession of the District of Columbia or under any will of Declarant or codicil thereto, or directly financially responsible for Declarant’s medical care. I am not the Declarant’s attending physician, an employee of the attending physician, or an employee of the health facility in which the Declarant is a patient.

Witness ___________________________________________

Witness ___________________________________________

Date: ___________________