You May Need An Advance Directive or POLST
Talking about end-of-life issues is hard. However, doing so may be the best gift you can give to your loved ones. Helping them to navigate difficult, emotional decisions with confidence will provide peace when it is needed most.
An Advance Health Care Directive (also called a Living Will) provides direction to your family and medical team when you can’t provide that direction yourself because of sickness or injury. Within the Advance Directive you will accomplish two things:
- Documenting what you want done (or not done) if you are sick or injured, and
- Picking the person who will make those decision for you when you cannot, called your Health Care Agent.
It’s important to talk with your loved ones about your values and ideas. Do you want artificial life support if you can’t breathe or eat on your own? Or do you simply want to receive comfort care to control pain while not taking other extraordinary steps to prolong your life? Do you want to donate your organs?
After completing your Advance Health Care Directive, you will need to speak with your medical provider if you want to take the additional step of completing a Provider Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) also called a Do Not Resuscitate Order or DNR. Without this document, emergency medical personnel are required to resuscitate you despite what you may have specified in your Advance Directive.
Use the links above to download the Utah Advance Health Care Directive, Provider Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) or Advance Directive Wallet Card. Please call Advocates for Independence at 801-679-6461 for additional information.
