In the neuroscience intensive care unit (NICU), most patients lack the capacity to make their
own preferences known. This fact leads to situations where surrogate decision makers must …

Older adults who have reduced decision-making capacity and no family or friends to
compensate for these deficiencies are known as unbefriended and require a public …

Adults who are incapacitated and alone, having no surrogates, may be known as
“unbefriended.” Decision-making for these particularly vulnerable patients is a common and …

B. Emergency Exception and Implied Consent C. Advance Directives and POLST D. Agents
and Durable Powers of Attorney for Healthcare E. Default Surrogates and Proxies F …

Persons without family or friends to serve as healthcare agents may become
“unrepresented” in healthcare, with no one to serve as healthcare agents when decisional …

Background: The purpose of this analysis was to describe the presence and timing of do-not-
resuscitate (DNR) orders for imminently dying patients in VA Medical Centers, and to …

Background: Adults who lack decision-making capacity and a surrogate (“unbefriended”
adults) are a vulnerable, voiceless population in health care. But little is known about this …

BACKGROUND In cases where patients are unable to provide informed consent and have
no surrogate decision‐maker, a hospital must seek guardian appointment as a legally …

Objectives: Unbefriended older adults are those who lack the capacity to make medical
decisions and do not have a completed advance directive that can guide treatment …

Every state provides by law for the assignment of a guardian or conservator for adults when
they are considered unable to care for themselves or to manage their own property. The …