Deciding Your Level of Care & Intentions

Have you heard of POLST? It stands for Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. The document is printed on bright green paper so that it is easily seen, and often is found on the refrigerator, near a medicine cabinet or on a bedside table. The form can be quickly understood by all healthcare professionals, including first responders and ambulance personnel.

Choosing a Dignified Death

A Provider Order regarding Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) says what measures should be used to keep you alive in a medical emergency. It is different from an Advance Directive in that it will be followed by emergency personnel, provided that they are aware of its existence. If you don’t have a POLST, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are required to do whatever they can to restore and stabilize your heartbeat and breathing and take you to an appropriate facility for treatment.