Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to subnav
Searching 2023-2024 Session

The Vermont Statutes Online

The Vermont Statutes Online have been updated to include the actions of the 2023 session of the General Assembly.

NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.

Title 18 : Health

Chapter 231 : Advance Directives for Health Care, Disposition of Remains, and Surrogate Decision Making

Subchapter 001 : Advance Directives and Disposition of Remains

(Cite as: 18 V.S.A. § 9710)
  • § 9710. Consent for hospice care

    (a) A family member of a patient or a person with a known close relationship to the patient may elect hospice care on behalf of the patient if the patient does not have an agent or guardian or the patient’s agent or guardian, or both, if applicable, are unavailable. Decisions made by the family member or person with a known close relationship shall protect the patient’s own wishes in the same manner as decisions made by an agent as described in subsection 9711(d) of this title.

    (b) As used in this section, “hospice care” means a program of care and support provided by a Medicare-certified hospice provider to help an individual with a terminal condition to live comfortably by providing palliative care, including effective pain and symptom management. Hospice care may include services provided by an interdisciplinary team that are intended to address the physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of the individual and his or her family. (Added 2013, No. 127 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 10, 2014.)