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Q | What healthcare rights do I have at the end of life?
Under federal hospice regulations, your rights at the end of life include but are not limited to:
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Respectful treatment of yourself and your property
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Pain management and symptom control
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Involvement in developing your plan of care
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Refusal of care or treatment
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Choice of your attending physician
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Confidentiality of health records
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Freedom from mistreatment, neglect, or verbal, mental, sexual, and physical abuse, including injuries of unknown source, and misappropriation of property
You also have the right to self-determination, which means you have the right to:
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Facilitate your own healthcare decisions
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Accept or refuse medical treatment
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Make an advance directive
It is a violation if someone discriminates against you for exercising your rights.
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hospice Regulations and Notices. 42 CFR Part 418. Retrieved from https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/part-418
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Q | Who has the right to make healthcare decisions for me at the end of my life?
At the end of life, your healthcare proxy, your legal guardian, or your next of kin may be called upon to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable. If you do not have a healthcare proxy or legal guardian, your next of kin will act as your medical decision-maker. If you do not want your next of kin making decisions on your behalf, be sure to name a healthcare proxy. See the Healthcare Proxy tab on the My Plans page for more information.
Q | Who has the right to make decisions about my burial, cremation, etc. after I die?
The executor of your will or your funeral agent, a person you choose ahead of time to handle your funeral arrangements, would make decisions about the handling of your body after you die. Otherwise, your next of kin would make those decisions. See the End-of-Life Plans tab on the My Plans page for more information.