POLST – The Final Advance Directive The POLST form (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) is a legal document designed to answer the question: “How do you want to live your life as you go through the process of dying?” This is a profound and important question, which makes it surprising that while 80% of patients would like to have this discussion with their doctors, … [Read more...]
DNR, DNI, DNH, POLST – The Alphabet Soup of Advance Directives
What is an Advance Directive? Advance Directive is a broad category of legal medical instructions for your healthcare. A Living Will, Health Care Proxy (Durable Power of Attorney for Health), Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR), Do Not Intubate (DNI), Do Not Hospitalize (DNH) and POLST are all types of advance directives. (Jump to Lessons Learned) Advance directive – This document … [Read more...]
How Do You Communicate With A Loved One Living With Alzheimer’s?
Even with Alzheimer's your loved one responds to what you are doing. Alzheimer’s is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases that cause the symptoms of dementia. The term “neurodegenerative” clearly explains what is occurring in the brain: Neuro – “messenger” Degenerative – “destroy” To understand this destruction of messages, it helps to understand that within the … [Read more...]
What is Dementia? What is Alzheimer’s?
Are Dementia and Alzheimer's the same? Dementia and Alzheimer's are not the same even though many people use the terms interchangeably. Dementia is not a disease. Dementia is the category of symptoms that shows a decline in cognitive ability severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living. Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease. If a loved one is having … [Read more...]
The Medicare 100 day Rule Impacts Post Hospital Stays
How does it work? Medicare and Medicaid formularies influence your discharge plan For insurance to pay for an acute care hospital stay, a post-acute care facility or a long-term care facility, there must be a “skillable” need. (e.g. Care requiring the skill of a licensed physician, nurse, physical and/or occupational therapist.) It can't be over stated that Medicare only … [Read more...]