On December 21, 2011, the state of New Jersey, under the authority of then-governor Chris Christie, created the standardized Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. The state of New Jersey recognized the importance of advanced directives (living wills, in particular) and decided to create a statewide form for individuals to set limitations on life-sustaining treatment in case of incapacitation. Continue reading “What is POLST?”
Tag: POLST
Important Documents to Have in Place Specifically for End-of-Life Decisions
Every individual should have documents such as a Health Care Proxy, Living Will, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) and/or Do Not Intubate (DNI), and Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) in place to assist loved ones who may need to make medical decisions on their behalf, including end-of-life decisions. A brief overview of the purpose of each document can be found below.
Continue reading “Important Documents to Have in Place Specifically for End-of-Life Decisions”
POLST and Advance Directives: You Need Both!
In December 2011, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed legislation that enables patients to indicate their wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment through the practitioner/physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) form. POLST is a medical order that is completed by a physician or an advance nurse practitioner (APN) and is intended for patients with life-limiting illnesses. The advance planning tool POLST should be established and utilized complementary to, not in place of, advance directives.
Continue reading “POLST and Advance Directives: You Need Both!”
