It's really not. You don't just pick up a POLST form at the grocery store. You have to get one from your doctor and go through it together. https://doh.wa.gov/

It's really not. You don't just pick up a POLST form at the grocery store. You have to get one from your doctor and go through it together. https://doh.wa.gov/public-health-provider-resources/emergency-medical-services-ems-systems/portable-orders-life-sustaining-treatment-polst https://doh.wa.gov/public-health-provider-resources/emergenc... is the one in my state and it is very clear about exactly the things you mention. Full treatment is described as: "Primary goal is prolonging life by ALL medically effective means. Use of intubation, advanced airway interventions, mechanical ventilation, and cardioversion as indicated. Includes care described below. Transfer to hospital if indicated. Includes intensive care." The care described below includes "IV medication access", "invasive airway management". It even includes "assisted nutrition", i.e. feeding tubes or ports. It also requires a demonstration of comprehension of these choices by the patient, not just the HCP. > someone just collapsed your rib-cage giving you chest compressions. Frankly, while not pleasant, most people who walk out of a hospital post-arrest have recovered from this in days, and it is generally not particularly painful (because contrary to popular belief, you almost certainly haven't broken ribs, just separated some of the sternal cartilage around the xiphoid process - the little notch midline at your lowest non-floating ribs). There are far more important concerns.