Advance Directives

When you are a patient, you and your loved ones play a vital role by becoming active, involved, and informed members of your healthcare team.

You have the right under Connecticut law to make decisions in advance about your medical treatment. These decisions will be honored even if you become unable to make or communicate them. You also have the right to determine in advance who can make decisions for you, regarding life support or medical treatment, should you be unable to express those wishes yourself.

All patients admitted to Stamford Hospital will receive information about advance directives as part of the admissions process and will be asked if they have a living will or an appointed healthcare representative. If you have not already done so, you may designate your advance directives and a healthcare representative at Stamford Hospital. If you need assistance with this process, we will be happy to help you. Please ask your nurse if you need additional copies of the information you received on admission, or if you need assistance completing any documents.

Patients are discouraged from leaving the hospital against medical advice. If you wish to leave despite advice to the contrary, you will be asked to sign a Discharge Against Medical Advice form. Your physician and, when appropriate, your family will be notified if you are making this request.

You may request that cardiopulmonary resuscitation measures (CPR) not be initiated in the event of a respiratory or cardiac arrest. In such cases, the patient’s physician must write a Do Not Resuscitate order to communicate the patient’s wishes to all staff.