1. If, as a result of the incapacitation of a patient or the inability of a patient to communicate, the patient of a medical facility or facility for the dependent who is 18 years of age or older is unable to inform the staff of the facility of the persons whom the patient authorizes to visit the patient at the facility, the facility shall allow visitation rights to any person designated by the patient in a letter, form or other document authorizing visitation executed in accordance with subsection 2. The visitation rights required by this subsection must be:

(a) Provided in accordance with the visitation policies of the facility; and

(b) The same visitation rights that are provided to a member of the patient’s family who is legally related to the patient.

2. A person 18 years of age or older wishing to designate a person for the purposes of establishing visitation rights in a medical facility or facility for the dependent may execute a letter, form or other document authorizing visitation in substantially the following form:

(Date)..................................

I, ..............................., (patient who is designating another person as having visitation rights of the patient) do hereby designate .................................. (person who is being designated as having visitation rights of the patient) as having the right to visit me in a medical facility or facility for the dependent. I hereby instruct all staff of a medical facility or facility for the dependent in which I am a patient to admit ...................................... (person who is being designated as having visitation rights of the patient) to my room and afford him or her the same visitation rights as are provided to members of my family who are legally related to me during my time as a patient.

........................................................

(Signed)

(Added to NRS by 2003, 1879; A 2011, 361) — (Substituted in revision for NRS 449.715)