2025 Delaware Code
Title 16 - Health and Safety
Chapter 25. Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act
§ 2514. Disqualification to act as default surrogate.
(a) An individual for whom a health-care decision would be made may disqualify another individual from acting as default surrogate for the first individual. The disqualification must be in a record signed by the first individual or communicated verbally or nonverbally to the individual being disqualified, another individual, or a responsible health-care professional. Disqualification under this subsection is effective even if made by an individual who lacks capacity to make an advance directive if the individual clearly communicates a desire that the individual being disqualified not make health-care decisions for the individual.
(b) An individual is disqualified from acting as a default surrogate for an individual who lacks capacity to make health-care decisions if any of the following apply:
(1) A court finds that the potential default surrogate poses a danger to the individual's well-being, even if the court does not issue a protection from abuse order against the potential default surrogate.
(2) The potential default surrogate is an owner, operator, employee, or contractor of a nursing home or long-term care facility in which the individual is residing or receiving care unless the owner, operator, employee, or contractor is a family member of the individual, the cohabitant of the individual, or a descendant of the cohabitant.
(3) The potential default surrogate refuses to provide a timely declaration under § 2512(c) of this title.
(4) The individual has a pending protection from abuse petition against the potential default surrogate.
(5) The individual has a protection from abuse order against the potential default surrogate.
(6) The potential default surrogate is the subject of a civil or criminal order prohibiting or limiting contact with the individual.
