In a hospital at 2 a.m., a doctor asks the family whether their mother would want a breathing machine. Nobody knows, because nobody ever asked her. Families who have had the conversation earlier can answer for her in her own words. Families who have not are left to guess.
This guide is for families of a person with a serious or progressing illness who has not yet talked through what they would want.
Questions that open the conversation
Ask about the person’s life first, then about treatments:
What makes a day worth living for you?
What worries you most about your health?
If your health got worse, what would you be willing to go through for more time, and what would you not?
Where would you want to be if you were very sick: at home, in a hospital, or somewhere else?
Who should speak for you if you cannot speak for yourself?
What should we know that we have never asked?
OPA’s free Goals of Care worksheet lists these questions with space to write the answers. The worksheet has no legal force. It prepares the family for the documents below.
Turn the answers into documents
Two Georgia documents put wishes into a form clinicians can act on:
The Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care names a health care agent and records the person’s wishes about treatment (Georgia Division of Aging Services). OPA’s guide to legal papers explains how it fits with other documents.
A Georgia POLST form, Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, is a medical order completed with the person’s clinician. It tells emergency and medical staff which treatments to give or withhold now. The form is published by the Georgia Department of Public Health.
An advance directive states wishes for the future and names who speaks for the person. A POLST turns current wishes into orders for treatment now, usually for someone who is seriously ill.
Bring the clinician in
Ask the person’s doctor or nurse practitioner for a visit focused on these questions. The clinician can explain what each treatment would mean for this person’s illness and can complete a POLST if it fits.
Keep the papers where they will be found
Give copies to the health care agent and the clinician. Keep copies in the Next-of-Kin Box, where family can find them. Ask the clinician where the POLST form itself should be kept so emergency responders will see it.
A first step this week
Ask your parent one question from the list above, and write down the answer in their words.
Laws and official forms change, and the legal statements here were current Confirm current requirements before acting. Confirm them with a licensed Georgia attorney or the person’s clinician. This is general information, not legal or medical advice.