Healthcare treatment. Hospital preferences. End-of-life care. Some choices are too important to leave to chance—yet they often are. A recent poll found that only 46% of older adults in the U.S. had ...

The American Hospital Association estimates that half of Americans suffer from chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Following a diagnosis, many experience concerns about the ...

Question: I heard you speak recently and you said that “everyone over age 18 should have a will, power of attorney for finances and an Advance Health Care Directive.” I have those documents and have a ...

Nursing home patients are more likely to die in the facility or in hospice than in a hospital in states with mature POLST programs, according to a new, first-of-its kind study.

More clinicians now use Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment forms to record care wishes for nursing facility residents, but whether the resulting conversations lead to high-quality care ...

My mom, 88 stubborn years old, still lives on her own in a big house with a cat that loves to get underfoot. Because I work in healthcare, I have an all-too-vivid recognition of the perils that can ...

POLST forms are portable medical orders that document a patient’s treatment preferences during medical emergencies, such as resuscitation instructions, when they may not be able to communicate their ...

When it comes to health care, everyone deserves to make decisions that align with their wishes and values. However, sometimes circumstances take that opportunity away before someone has a chance to ...

An advance directive is a legally binding document regulated by state laws. Advance directives are subject to The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA), 1990, a federal law that encourages individuals ...