My mom, 88 stubborn years old, still lives on her own in a big house with a cat that loves to get underfoot. Because I work in health care, I have an all-too-vivid recognition of the perils that can befall someone in her situation. So, posted on her kitchen bulletin board is a bright pink sheet of paper called a POLST.
POLST stands for Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment. It’s a document that makes your treatment wishes known to doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, and other health-care providers. Too often, people near the end of their lives get treatment they don’t want. These treatments may not help them live longer or better, and sometimes they can cause pain.
Also, family members sometimes have their own ideas about what types of treatment their loved ones would want. POLST makes sure your family members and caregivers know exactly what life-saving treatments you do and do not want. Doctors say any seriously ill person should have a POLST. Filling out a POLST is completely up to you. It's your choice.