Connecticut End of Life Guide

Advance Directives 

Advance Directives are legal documents that allow you to make known your end-of-life care ahead of time. The state of Connecticut recognizes your right to decide the terms of your own medical treatment and to assign a person to make those decisions when you are not able to do so. 

Here are some important questions to consider before beginning this process:

• Is this document(s) state specific? No

• Does this document(s) need to be notarized? Yes*

• Does this document(s) require witnesses? If so, how many? Yes / 2

• Can you legally use Aging With Dignity's 5 Wishes Doc? Yes

* This document requires BOTH notarization and witnesses 

There is a single Advance Directive form for Connecticut that you can download by clicking the button below:

CONNECTICUT ADVANCE DIRECTIVE FORM

(Source: Connecticut Office of the Attorney General)

Death with Dignity

Death with Dignity laws allow the dying more control of their death and end-of-life decisions. These laws allow terminally-ill, able-minded state residents to request and receive prescription medication to hasten their death.

In Connecticut, Death With Dignity legislation has been submitted under Senate Bill 5326.

Designated Funeral Agent

Connecticut law supports the appointment of a designated funeral agent to follow through on your written personal preferences (see below) or make funeral arrangements on your behalf if no written preferences are indicated.

Connecticut does not have a state specific funeral document. However, a document is required in writing and must be witnessed by two people. The funeral director or embalmer licensed by the department or in another state compliant with the terms of a reciprocal agreement on file with the dept. is in charge of the burial, voiding the rights of the designated funeral agent. **

Financial Assistance

If the recipient has no burial funds, life insurance, or any other assets then they are eligible for burial benefits. If eligible, Connecticut will give up to $1,800 for funeral expenses.

See our Financial Assistance Chart for more details.

Home Funeral

Connecticut is one of 10 states that does not allow the family all power in home funerals or has conflicting law, necessitating the use of a funeral director for some purposes. Connecticut requires a funeral director’s signature on the death certificate and bars anyone but a funeral director or embalmer from removing a body or transporting it.

Check with the National Home Funeral Alliance for up-to-date details on how to navigate home funerals in Connecticut and when it is required to involve a licensed funeral director.

Personal Preference Law

Personal preference laws for body disposition obligate your survivors to follow your written [or verbal] personal preferences. This often goes hand-in-hand with designating a funeral agent to follow through with your funeral or body disposition preferences.

In Connecticut, Statute 45a-318 permits you to indicate your personal preferences for your funeral in writing. We always recommend outlining your funeral preference in writing and sharing them with your designated funeral agent, next-of-kin, or spouse, giving you the best chance of having them seen through or upheld in the courts.