Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 700.5506 (2026)

Designation of patient advocate; "community mental health services program or hospital" defined.

✓ current as of July 2026

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ESTATES AND PROTECTED INDIVIDUALS CODE

Act 386 of 1998

700.5506 Designation of patient advocate; "community mental health services program or hospital" defined.

Sec. 5506.

(1) An individual 18 years of age or older who is of sound mind at the time a patient advocate designation is made may designate in writing another individual who is 18 years of age or older to exercise powers concerning care, custody, and medical or mental health treatment decisions for the individual making the patient advocate designation. An individual making a patient advocate designation under this subsection may include in the patient advocate designation the authority for the designated individual to make an anatomical gift of all or part of the individual's body in accordance with this act and part 101 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.10101 to 333.10123. The authority regarding an anatomical gift under this subsection may include the authority to resolve a conflict between the terms of the advance health care directive and the administration of means necessary to ensure the medical suitability of the anatomical gift.

(2) For purposes of this section and sections 5507 to 5515, an individual who is named in a patient advocate designation to exercise powers concerning care, custody, and medical or mental health treatment decisions is known as a patient advocate and an individual who makes a patient advocate designation is known as a patient.

(3) Subject to section 1202, a patient advocate designation under this section must be in writing, signed, witnessed as provided in subsection (4), dated, executed voluntarily, and, before its implementation, made part of the patient's medical record with, as applicable, the patient's attending physician, the mental health professional providing treatment to the patient, the facility where the patient is located, or the community mental health services program or hospital that is providing mental health services to the patient. The patient advocate designation must include a statement that the authority conferred under this section is exercisable only when the patient is unable to participate in medical or mental health treatment decisions, as applicable, and, in the case of the authority to make an anatomical gift as described in subsection (1), a statement that the authority remains exercisable after the patient's death.

(4) Subject to section 1202, a patient advocate designation under this section must be executed in the presence of and signed by 2 witnesses. A witness under this section shall not be the patient's spouse, parent, child, grandchild, sibling, presumptive heir, known devisee at the time of the witnessing, physician, or patient advocate or an employee of a life or health insurance provider for the patient, of a health facility that is treating the patient, or of a home for the aged as defined in section 20106 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.20106, where the patient resides, or of a community mental health services program or hospital that is providing mental health services to the patient. A witness shall not sign the patient advocate designation unless the patient appears to be of sound mind and under no duress, fraud, or undue influence.

(5) As used in this section, "community mental health services program or hospital" means a community mental health services program as that term is defined in section 100a of the mental health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL 330.1100a, or a hospital as that term is defined in section 100b of the mental health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL 330.1100b.

History: 1998, Act 386, Eff. Apr. 1, 2000 ;-- Am. 2003, Act 63, Imd. Eff. July 22, 2003 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 532, Imd. Eff. Jan. 3, 2005 ;-- Am. 2008, Act 41, Imd. Eff. Mar. 17, 2008 ;-- Am. 2020, Act 246, Imd. Eff. Nov. 5, 2020

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 5 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2002–2022 · leading case: Persinger v. Holst, 639 N.W.2d 594 (Mich. Ct. App. 2002).

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Persinger v. Holst, 639 N.W.2d 594 (Mich. Ct. App. 2002). “Similarly, MCL 700.5506, pertaining to the designation of a patient advocate for proposes of medical treatment, custody, and care decisions, specifically requires the patient to be of sound mind at the time the designation is made.”

In Re Guardianship of Tyler J Newland (Mich. Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 2× “O’Brien /s/ James Robert Redford 4 MCL 700.5506 allows an adult of sound mind to designate another adult as a “patient advocate” who may “exercise powers concerning care, custody, and medical or mental health treatment decisions for the individual making the patient advocate…”

Est. of Margaret Marie Roush v. Laurels of Carson City LLC (Mich. Ct. App. 2014). “” MCL 700.5506(3). Therefore, Gallagher’s authority as a patient advocate was properly invoked on October 24, 2012, only if Roush was unable to participate in medical treatment decisions on that date.”

Est. of Margaret Marie Roush v. Laurels of Carson City LLC (Mich. 2015). “116(C)(10) of the plaintiff’s false imprisonment claim based on its conclusion that genuine issues of material fact remained whether Margaret Roush’s patient advocate designation became effective on October 24, 2012, see MCL 700.5506, and whether Roush subsequently revoked her…”

Hardy v. Laurels of Carson City, LLC, 498 Mich. 879 (Mich. 2015). “116(C)(10) of the plaintiffs false imprisonment claim based on its conclusion that genuine issues of material fact remained whether Margaret Roush’s patient advocate designation became effective on October 24, 2012, see MCL 700.5506, and whether Roush subsequently revoked her…”

— Mich. Comp. Laws § 700.5506(1) — 1 case

In Re Guardianship of Tyler J Newland (Mich. Ct. App. 2022). “O’Brien /s/ James Robert Redford 4 MCL 700.5506 allows an adult of sound mind to designate another adult as a “patient advocate” who may “exercise powers concerning care, custody, and medical or mental health treatment decisions for the individual making the patient advocate…”

— Mich. Comp. Laws § 700.5506(3) — 1 case

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.