In This Video You Will Learn:
About Advance Directive Forms and Other Forms for Medical Planning.
Hospitals and Clinics May Use Different Forms for Medical Planning.
These Forms May Include:
• An advance directive
• A durable power of attorney for health care
• A living will
• Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST, MOLST)
Let’s start with Advance Directives .
Advance Directives are legal forms that let people have a say about how they want to be cared for if they cannot speak for themselves.
They also allow people to write down the name of a medical decision maker(s) as well as their medical wishes.
To get the prepare easy-to-read advance directives you can scroll down to the bottom of the PREPARE for THEIR care homepage and click on this button.
PREPARE Advance Directives Are Free and Easy-To-Use.
They focus on quality of life and what brings life meaning.
And, they have space for people to write down what is most important for their quality of life.
The PREPARE Program Has Videos and Other Information To Help People Fill Out the Form.
People Can Also Download a Blank Form To Do Outside of the Website.
Now let’s talk about a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Form.
This form only allows people to write down the name of a medical decision maker(s) (not their medical wishes)
Next, we will talk about Living Will Forms.
This form only allows people to write down their medical wishes (not medical decision makers).
Finally, we will talk about a Form That Only Medical Providers Can Sign.
It’s called Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment – “POLST”.
The form may have different names in other states, such as “MOLST” or “MOST”.
The POLST Form allows medical providers to sign an order for people’s end-of-life medical procedures, such as CPR or a breathing machine.
It is used for people with very serious illness or at the end of life.
This form is only about medical end-of-life medical procedures.
It does not include medical decision makers.
Remember That All Forms Must Be Signed.
Forms People Can Sign:
• Advance directives: These forms let people write down preferences about medical decision makers and medical wishes.
• Durable power of attorney for healthcare forms: These forms are ONLY about medical decision makers.
• And a living will form: These forms are ONLY about medical wishes.
Finally, Forms that ONLY Medical Providers Can Sign:
• POLST: which are medical orders ONLY about end-of-life procedures.
Each US state has their own laws about who needs to sign the form.
For most states, people need to sign in pen.
Some states allow people to sign online.
Please read each form carefully.
Review the Forms Over Time.
People’s lives change and their health may change too.
Review the forms every year or so to make sure they are most up to date.
It is also a good idea to review the forms if someone goes to the hospital or their health changes.
Remember That People Are Different
Some people may never want to write down their medical wishes.
This is OK.
You may be just planting the first seed.
Talking about their wishes with them can still help.
To learn how to help other people with their medical planning you can watch those videos on the PREPARE for THEIR care homepage.
In This Video You Learned:
About Advance Directive Forms and Other Forms for Medical Planning.