What Is a POLST and Do I Need One Instead of a Medical Power of Attorney?
POLST stands for “Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment.” It differs from an Advance Healthcare Directive (aka medical power of attorney or power of attorney for healthcare) in several ways and is NOT intended to replace the power of attorney. A POLST is a set of medical orders signed by your doctor. It is similar to a Do Not Resuscitate (“DNR”) order. You cannot complete a POLST without the doctor’s signature. The POLST contains specific orders regarding life-sustai