Estate Planning Weekly

Considering your healthcare decisions in advance is an important part of creating an Estate Plan. The three healthcare documents that most people are concerned with are the POLST, Advanced Directive, and Healthcare Power of Attorney. POLST The POLST, or Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) is a medical order not a legal documents. Not everyone needs a POLST. This document is prepared with a physician, and sets forth whether you would want extraordinary measures taken to save you life. These measures include CPR. Physicians will often start a POLST dialog with patients that are in declining health...this is not an order for everyone. Advance Directive An Advance Directive gives instructions for care for serious conditions when you are unable to make decisions on your own. Every adult should have an Advance Directive. In Oregon, Advance Directives take a form set forth in the Oregon Statutes. Effective January 1, 2019, Oregon has a new Advance Directive form. If you already have an Advance Directiv