End-of-Life Resources

Background
North Carolina's Right to a Natural Death Act recognizes a patient's right to a peaceful and natural death. The NCMS Ethical and Judicial Affairs Committee has worked to develop and pass legislation that promotes patient self-determination at the end of life. These efforts have resulted in the creation and recognition of advance directives that enable patients to express their end of life wishes. The NCMS continues to work to advance end of life initiatives. For more information, please email or call Varsha Gadani at vgadani@ncmedsoc.org or 919-833-3836.


"Advance Care Planning" Video Learn about the importance of advance care planning and the options available to you in defining your end-of-life care. Created by the Brody School of Medicine. Click here to view.

NC Division of Medical Assistance Consumer Brochure: Medical Decisions and Advance Directives

• Text-only brochure (PDF)
  
• Full-color brochure with graphics (PDF)

Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney

Consumer Information

• Consumer Guide to Living Wills and Health Care Power of Attorney (NC Bar Association) (PDF)
  
• Consumer Information on Advance Directives in NC (PDF)
  
• NC Advance Health Care Directive Registry

• Statutory Living Will Form
  
• Statutory Health Care Power of Attorney Form
  

• "General Assembly Overhauls Advance Directive Laws," an article by Ken Burgess.
  
• Overview of House Bill 634: Get the specifics on the legislative changes that took effect October 1, 2007 with the passing of HB 634 - Advance Directives/Health Care POA
  
• House Bill 1372 and Organ Donation Changes

Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) Form

• Information about MOST: A New Portable Medical Order for North Carolina
  
• Frequently Asked Questions Regarding MOST
  
• Using the MOST Form—Guidance for Healthcare Professionals (PDF)
  
• Obtain a MOST form
  
  • Physicians and other health care providers: The MOST form is available through the Office of Emergency Medical Services, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/EMS/dnrmost.html
    
  • Patients or consumers: Since MOST is a medical order, the forms are available to patients or their representatives only through physicians or health care facilities or agencies such as home health or hospice. If your physician or health care provider is not familiar with the MOST form, please ask your health care provider to contact the North Carolina Medical Society for additional information at www.ncmedsoc.org or email or call Varsha Gadani at vgadani@ncmedsoc.org or 919-833-3836.
• View a sample MOST Form
  
• Download the PractEssentials Podcast on MOST
  
• Additional End-of-Life Efforts Across the Country: http://www.polst.org

Do Not Resuscitate Orders

• Information about No Code or Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
  
• DNR Sample Form
  
• Obtain DNR Forms
  
  • Physicians or other health care providers: DNR forms are available through the Office of Emergency Medical Services, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/EMS/dnrmost.html
    
  • Patients or consumers: DNR forms will be available to patients or their representatives only through physicians or health care facilities or agencies such as home health or hospice. Please ask your health care provider to contact the North Carolina Medical Society for additional information at www.ncmedsoc.org, email or call Varsha Gadani at vgadani@ncmedsoc.org or 919-833-3836, or contact the Office of Emergency Medical Services.

Artificial Nutrition and Hydration

• Position Statement by the NCMS for Physicians
  
• Long-Term Feeding Tubes: Ethical Issues in Physicians' Decision Making

• Feeding Tube Information

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