Distinctive Special Services

Advance Directives
Texas and federal law give every competent adult, 18 years or older, the right to make their own healthcare decisions, including the right to decide what medical care or treatment to accept, reject or discontinue. An Advance Directive is a means for a person to state what medical care he or she wants done if they cannot speak for themselves and are in critical condition. The Advance Directive was formerly known as a Living Will. A person can say in advance if he or she wants to be on a respirator, wants food or water if he is in a coma, or wants to be resuscitated. Once completed, a copy should be left with your doctor, your family, and any friend who may need to produce this document when you cannot. If you change your mind, you can revoke an Advance Directive at any time simply by telling those you gave it to that it no longer applies.

Declaration for Mental Health Treatment
Another type of advance directive is entitled the "Declaration for Mental Health Treatment." This document allows you to tell the hospital what kinds of mental health treatment you want, in the event you become incapacitated.

To use this type of directive, you must sign a declaration for mental health treatment form indicating the kinds of mental health services you do or do not consent to (including such options as psychoactive medications, convulsive treatment and preferences for emergency treatment such as restraint, seclusion or medication). For the mental health directive to become effective, a judge must find that you lack the ability to understand the nature and consequences of a proposed treatment, including the benefits, risks and alternatives to the proposed treatment, as well as the ability to make healthcare treatment decisions because of impairment and that you are incapacitated. The law defines "incapacitated" and the court determines "incapacitation" in one of only two ways: in a guardianship proceeding, or in a hearing to consider the forced administration of psychoactive medication.

Patient Education
For patients and visitors at DeTar Hospital North, the Newborn Channel is the hospital's closed circuit TV station which features 24-hour programming for expecting or new parents in both English and Spanish. Expectant mothers have various resources available to them, such as nutritional education, free CPR classes, Childbirth Education and more.  DeTar's Education Department provides various educational programs on Diabetes, CPR, Women ' s Health and various other areas of interest. Please contact the department or ask your nurse for more information.

Mail
Letters and packages for patients are delivered each morning by volunteers. Letters and parcels that arrive after you have been discharged are forwarded to your home. Stationery may be purchased in the gift shop. Outgoing mail may be left at the nurses' station or given to a volunteer.

Flowers
Flowers are delivered to your room by volunteers. Please make sure when sending flowers or gifts to a patient in the hospital that you give the sender the hospital name, patient full name and room number/ location within the facility.

Newspapers
Newspapers are delivered to each patient unit every morning. Please notify a member of your nursing staff if you would like to receive a paper.

Notary Public
The services of a notary are available for patients free of charge. For information on a notary from DeTar Hospital Navarro, please call 788-6101 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  For information on a notary from DeTar Hospital North, please call 788-2625 from 8:00 a.m until 5:00 p.m.

For the Hearing Impaired
A telecommunications device is available on the Skilled Nursing Unit and in the Emergency Department to help hearing impaired patients or patients who want to communicate with a hearing impaired relative or friend. Arrangements can also be made to have a person who uses sign language help a hearing impaired or deaf patient.

Interpreters
The DeTar Healthcare System has access to interpreters for a number of foreign languages should a patient require it. For more information, please contact a member of your nursing staff.