Statement of purpose [For application of this section, see 85 Del. Laws, c. 485, § 5].

§ 2502A. Statement of purpose [For application of this section, see 85 Del. Laws, c. 485, § 5]. (a) An adult individual who has decision-making capacity has the right to refuse medical or surgical treatment in order to allow natural death if such refusal is not contrary to existing public health laws. (b) An adult individual with decision-making capacity has the right to plan ahead for health-care decisions through an advance health-care directive under Chapter 25 of this title, or through a POLST form under this chapter or both, and to have the wishes expressed in those documents respected, subject to certain limitations, in order to ensure that the right to control decisions about one’s own health care is not lost if a patient loses decision-making capacity and is not able to participate actively in making the patient’s own decisions, either temporarily or permanently. (c) An advance health-care directive is recommended for every adult whether or not the individual anticipates a period of incapacity. (d) The POLST form is separate from and is not an advance health-care directive. It expresses an individual’s wishes regarding scope of treatment through medical orders. The POLST form does not require an advance health-care directive. (e) Data shows that many individuals may reside or be situated in multiple locations such as home, acute care, and post-acute care settings near the end of life. Changes in such settings require that an easily understood, standardized, portable document be available to communicate the individual’s care preferences. A POLST form provides such a document.80 Del. Laws, c. 18, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 84 Del. Laws, c. 42, § 1; 85 Del. Laws, c. 485, § 1;