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Does anyone have thoughts or opinions on the POLST form? My mother has Alzheimer's and is a memory care facility, I've been asked to fill out this form and have my mom's physician sign it. I am my mom's Advance Care Directive. I feel I'm being asked to write down her wishes when she can't do it herself, I'm a bit uncomfortable with that. She has DNR on her Advance Health Care Directive....my sister's opinion is that this is all the facility needs and she says she personally wouldn't fill out the POLST form, but it's up to me. I just wanted to see how others on this forum felt about filling this form out for a parent who is incapable of doing it themselves and doesn't understand what the form is for even if you were to explain it to him/her.

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Chatykat, if you are your mother's medical POA (proxy, surrogate, whatever it is called where you are) then you would be the one to make these decisions if they arise. I don't see that writing it down now is much different than having to make the decisions in an urgent situation. Do the best you can, based on your understanding of what mother would want. I don't think I would try to get mother to understand the questions at this point, or to have her sign. Instead I would sign my own name and add "as medical proxy for Jane Doe."

This is theoretical on my part ... I have not been asked to fill out such a document.
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As your mother's designated health care decision maker, you have the right to defer making decisions for her until the need arises. At that time you can find out what the outcomes of treatment would be and decide whether to refuse them. You do not have to make these decisions now. If you are uncomfortable, trust your instincts and do not complete the form.
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As I understood the form it is what to give the EMTs so they know what to do. The key here is that these are Dr's orders when you and your Dr. sign it. It prevents the first responders from doing something that you don't want and arguing about it. For example, my mother's bones are so fragile CPR would crush her.
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