Medical Care Decisions and Advance Directives: What You Should Know
**Introduction:** Medical care decisions and advance directives are essential tools for ensuring that an individual's healthcare preferences are respected and followed, even if they become unable to communicate or make decisions for themselves. This article provides an overview of the key aspects of medical care decisions and advance directives based on the document provided by the N.C. DHHS: Division of Medical Assistance. **What is an Advance Directive?** An advance directive is a set of directions given about the medical and mental health care one desires if they ever lose the ability to make decisions for themselves. In North Carolina, there are specific conditions under which an advance directive becomes effective: 1. If the individual becomes incurably sick with an irreversible condition that will result in death within a short period. 2. If the individual is unconscious and it's highly unlikely they will regain consciousness. 3. If the individual has advanced dementia