I had what seemed to be a very easy discharge yesterday complicated by a family member with a healthcare power of attorney. Said family member was at odds with her relative over a number of things, including the date of discharge. It can get crazy to get in the middle of family strife, so here are a few things (along with the help of your case management staff and your hospital's specific policy) of interest from the internet.
I am not a lawyer, so these links come from http://www.findlaw.com/, http://www.nolo.com/ and the ABA, American Bar Association.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
What you can cover in a your health care directives
Duty of healthcare providers to honor your healthcare directives.
UPDATE: (because I forgot these this morning...)
If you want to read some interesting nurse attorney blogs, check out these two:
A Nurse Attorney's Thoughts by Taralynn Mackay of Texas
My 2 cents by LaTonia Denise Wright of Ohio