Description of AHCD
An advance health care directive (AHCD) is a legal document expressing an individual’s wishes for medical treatment if they become incompetent and unable to decide on medical choices. The AHCD defines the individual’s medical treatment preferences, including end-of-life care, and chooses a healthcare agent to make choices on the individual’s behalf when the individual cannot do so (National Institute on Aging, n.d.). While the individual is still capable, the AHCD must be completed (National Institute on Aging, n.d.).
To become a legal document, the AHCD must be signed by the individual in question, two witnesses, or a public notary (National Institute on Aging, n.d.). Despite its importance, people may encounter some challenges when completing an AHCD. These include a lack of knowledge of the document’s legal wording, difficulties discussing end-of-life care with family and friends, and the dread of making the incorrect choice.
Description of POLST
A Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form is a medical order that specifies a patient’s preferences for life-sustaining care, such as Resuscitation and artificial nourishment and hydration. The POLST form is meant for those with significant diseases or life-threatening situations who do not wish to accept specific medical procedures (UCLA Health, n.d.). The POLST form is filled out with the help of a healthcare professional and signed by the doctor, the patient, or their healthcare agent (UCLA Health, n.d.). The POLST form can be completed at any point throughout a patient’s treatment, although it is most frequently performed when the patient approaches the end of their life. The form can be filled out by the individual in question or their healthcare representative, but the physician must sign it to make it a legal document.
Differences Between AHCD and POLST
While the AHCD and the POLST form are legal agreements that specify a person’s medical care preferences, they differ in important respects. The AHCD is a comprehensive document that designates a healthcare proxy and outlines a person’s medical treatment choices, including decisions about end-of-life care. Conversely, the POLST form is a medical directive that records the patient’s wishes regarding life-sustaining treatments.
The APRN can perform several activities to protect the patient’s right to choose healthcare interventions. To ensure that the patient’s wishes are accurately documented, the APRN can educate the patient and loved ones about the AHCD and the POLST form (Russell & Quaack, 2021). The APRN can advocate for the patient’s desires with other healthcare professionals and ensure they are recorded in the patient’s medical record.
References
National Institute on Aging. (n.d.). Advance care planning: Advance directives for health care. Web.
Russell, J., & Quaack, K. R. (2021). A multiple goals approach to exploring social worker conversational plans for advance care treatment with terminally ill patients. Journal of Social Work in End-of-life & Palliative Care, 17(4), 278–295. Web.
UCLA Health. (n.d.). What is a POLST? Web.