Having an advance directive clarifies medical goals, reduces family stress, and helps clinicians honor your choices when you cannot speak for yourself. In Cricket, properly prepared documents streamline decisions, prevent unwanted treatments, and support smoother coordination among doctors, hospitals, and loved ones, while ensuring your dignity and preferences are respected.
Clear directives minimize ambiguity, helping clinicians and family members act quickly and consistently in line with your preferences, even in high-stress moments when emotions run high for patients today and everywhere.
Choosing us provides local, client-focused guidance tailored to North Carolina law. We listen to your priorities, explain options clearly, and prepare directives that stand up to review by physicians, hospitals, and the courts, protecting your wishes and supporting your loved ones.
We assist with coordinating updates across hospitals and physician offices, so care teams have current information and can implement your wishes without delay.
Advance healthcare directives are legal documents that record your preferences for medical treatment if you cannot speak for yourself, often naming a trusted agent to make decisions on your behalf. They also include living wills that describe desired levels of care in specific situations. Together, these instruments guide clinicians, help protect families from tough disagreements, and ensure your goals, values, and beliefs govern medical care. Working with an attorney ensures the forms comply with North Carolina law and are accessible when emergencies arise.
A last will and testament does not govern medical decisions. A healthcare directive or living will specifically addresses treatment choices, a healthcare agent, and end-of-life care. Having both documents ensures your assets are managed after death while your medical preferences guide care earlier. We can help you coordinate these papers so they work together, avoid contradictions, and remain compliant with North Carolina law. Regular reviews keep them aligned as your circumstances change over time.
Core documents typically include an advance directive, a durable power of attorney for healthcare, and a living will. In North Carolina, these forms should be completed with proper witnesses or a notary and stored where they are accessible to your care team. We help tailor each form to your goals, ensure compliance with state law, and provide easy ways to share copies with physicians, agents, and family across multiple facilities.
Reviewing directives at least annually or after major life events ensures your choices stay current. Changes in health, relationships, or laws may require updates to reflect new priorities and preferences. We offer reminders and straightforward update steps so you maintain valid, accessible directives. Our team provides clear guidance on when to revise documents, who to notify, and how to store updated copies with your medical team and family members.
Without directives, medical decisions fall to state law and family dynamics. A court-appointed guardian may be named, or doctors may seek decisions from the closest relatives, which can be slower and less aligned with your preferences. Having directives minimizes delays, clarifies authority, and helps your chosen agent act confidently in emergencies. It also reduces confusion for hospital staff and provides a clear plan for loved ones across settings.
Choose someone you trust, who understands your values, communicates well, and is willing to coordinate with doctors. This person should be available, capable of handling medical conversations, and prepared to make decisions according to your documented wishes. Discuss with your candidate, share the directives, and ensure they are comfortable and willing to act as your healthcare agent, with names and contact details clearly recorded in the documents.
Yes. You can revise directives at any time as long as you have capacity. Updates should be made with the same formalities as the original documents to preserve validity in North Carolina. We help coordinate changes, re-sign, and re-file copies so your care team always has current guidance. Our team also coordinates with family members during transitions across facilities.
Directives are primarily governed by state law. NC-specific forms and recognition apply when care occurs in North Carolina, but some provisions can be honored across state lines if they meet certain requirements. We review your documents to ensure portability and advise when additional documents are necessary for out-of-state care. Coordination with providers helps maintain continuity during travel or relocation.
POLST stands for Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. It translates treatment preferences into actionable medical orders and is most useful for serious illness, hospitalization, or when rapid changes in condition occur. We help determine if POLST is appropriate for you and guide completion to ensure consistency with your directives and state requirements in your area.
Begin with a confidential contact in our Cricket office. We schedule a formal consult, review your health status and goals, and outline the documents needed. You will receive a clear plan and a timeline for drafting, signing, and storing your directives. Our team is ready to assist with questions and coordinate next steps to protect your wishes.
