Plain-language guides for care decisions
Short pages for older adults and their adult children. Large type. Sources at the bottom of each page. Nothing here replaces a talk with a clinician.
Watch the full series on YouTube: short, plain-language videos from Richard, an experienced nurse practitioner (NP) and critical care nurse.
Hospice vs. palliative care
A printable chart of who each is for, where it happens, and what Medicare covers.
What is a DNR order?
What a do-not-resuscitate order covers, what it does not cover, and how to find your state's form.
POLST vs. DNR
How a POLST, MOLST, MOST, or POST form differs from a DNR and a living will.
Talking with parents
Conversation starters and a checklist for a calm talk about future care.
For clinicians
Advance care planning toolkit: CPT 99497 and 99498. Time rules, documentation, modifier 33, the Medicare wellness-visit pairing, and the same patient handouts.
Living wills and health care powers of attorney are on the forms page.
Your state
Living will and health care power of attorney forms for your state.
All living will and health care power of attorney formsQuestions people ask
What are these guides?
They are short, plain-language pages about hospice and palliative care, DNR orders, POLST forms, and family conversations. A separate page is written for clinicians who bill Medicare advance care planning codes.
Are these pages medical or legal advice?
No. They are general education. They do not tell one person which treatment to choose, and they do not replace a state form. Talk with a doctor or care team about your own situation.
Where do I find my state's forms?
Living wills and health care powers of attorney are on the forms page. MOST, POLST, and DNR forms are on the provider forms page. These guides also show your state's links when we know where you are visiting from. A clinician has to sign a DNR or POLST.
Sources
These pages use public pages from agencies and national programs. They do not invent statistics.