Advance Care Planning

Advance care planning – Making decisions related to end-of-life care
Advance directives – Legal documents to inform others of an individual's end-of-life wishes
Living Will – Legal document describing medical decisions surrounding what is and is not wanted for treatment if the person is dying, unconscious, or unable to voice decisions
Healthcare Power of Attorney (HCPA) – A trusted individual chosen to make healthcare decisions if someone is unable to do so for themselves
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) form – Instructs medical personnel not to take action to restart the heart if it stops. The form is yellow in color and may be included in the Living Will, but having the separate form helps avoid confusion in a medical emergency
Medical Order for Scope of Treatment (MOST) form – A medical order signed by a provider and used to document medical wishes surrounding life support. The form is hot pink in color.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) – Physical actions taken to restore heartbeat and breathing
Ventilator – Mechanical breathing support
Tube feeding – Liquid nutrition administered through a tube placed in the stomach
Intravenous fluids – Hydration provided through a needle placed in a vein of the body
Comfort care – Treatments such as pain medication to minimize discomfort
Organ donation – Organ or tissue donation can be designated in the Living Will or the HCPA document. Registration can also be done through the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Palliative care – Specialists who help plan for quality-of-life goals and provide comfort care while continuing medical treatments.
Hospice care – Specialists who help plan for quality-of-life goals and provide comfort care without treatments to cure a life-threatening illness

North Carolina

South Carolina