The Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 requires hospitals participating in Medicare or Medicaid to ask all adult inpatients if they have stated their medical wishes in legal documents called advance directives. In North Carolina, the types of advance directives are the Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney.

Ideally, advance directives, if you choose to have them, should be completed before you come to the hospital. However, if you do not have advance directives and would like to have them, speak to your nurse, who will be glad to help you obtain this information. We encourage you to read it carefully and talk it over with your family and physician.

Choices at the end of life are often the hardest ones to make. Patients do not always complete a Living Will. Families are not always clear about who has the right to make decisions for the patient. The Discharge Planners at Blue Ridge Regional Hospital can support you in talking through these tough choices and can also assist you with completion of advance directive documents. You can contact a Discharge Planner by calling (828) 766-1695.