Skilled nursing facility residents appointing health care decision makers.

Skilled nursing facility residents appointing health care decision makers.

Residents at Skilled Nursing Facilities (“SNF’s”) are well advised to have a an Advanced Health Care Directive (“AHCD”), with an authorized agent (health care decisionmaker) in place to make decisions regarding medical treatment and placement.  However, a SNF still cannot require the execution of an AHCD as a condition to providing services (Probate Code Section 5677). In California, “A patient is presumed to have the capacity to make a health c…