What Is a POLST Form?

If you or someone you love is seriously ill, you have probably heard a doctor or nurse mention a bright green form called a POLST. Understanding what it is, and what it is not, can make a real difference in a medical emergency. This topic is part of Washington advance healthcare directives.

The Short Answer

POLST stands for Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. It is a portable medical order, signed by your treating healthcare provider, that tells emergency responders and other clinicians what treatments you want if you become seriously ill and cannot speak for yourself. Unlike a living will, a POLST is not something you write and sign on your own. It is an actual medical order, and it carries the weight of a physician's instruction. Related guides cover What Is an Advance Healthcare Directive? and What Happens If My Healthcare Agent Disagrees With My Wishes?.

In Washington, the POLST program is administered by the Department of Health together with the Washington State Medical Association. According to the Washington State Department of Health, the POLST form is a portable physician order form that summarizes a patient's wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment, covering resuscitation, medical interventions, antibiotics, and artificial feeding, and it is designed to travel with the patient from one healthcare setting to another.

Who a POLST Is For

A POLST is not for everyone, and that is by design. It is intended for people who are already seriously ill or frail, the patients for whom decisions about resuscitation and aggressive treatment are realistically on the horizon. A healthy adult planning for the future does not typically need a POLST. Instead, that person creates an advance healthcare directive, which we will come back to in a moment. The POLST comes into the picture when serious illness makes concrete medical orders necessary right now.

Because it is a medical order, a POLST must be signed by your provider. It reflects a conversation between you, or your medical decision-maker, and your treating clinician about what care you do and do not want. That conversation is the heart of the document. The form simply captures the decisions in a way that any responder can read and follow in an emergency.

Why the Green Form Travels With You

The whole point of a POLST is portability. Emergencies do not wait, and paramedics arriving at your home have no time to search for paperwork or call your regular doctor. A POLST is designed to be immediately visible and immediately actionable. It goes with you from home to hospital to a skilled nursing facility and back, so that whoever is caring for you knows your treatment orders at a glance. That continuity is exactly what a general planning document, tucked away in a drawer or a lawyer's file, cannot provide.

How a POLST Differs From an Advance Directive

This is where people get tripped up, so it is worth being precise. An advance healthcare directive, often called a living will, is a separate document governed by Washington's Natural Death Act, chapter 70.122 RCW. That statute lets any adult put in writing their wishes about withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment in a terminal or permanent unconscious condition. See RCW 70.122.030. The directive is something you create yourself, in advance, while you are healthy and thinking clearly.

A POLST is different in almost every respect. It is not created under chapter 70.122 RCW, and it is not a statement you write alone. It is a medical order, signed by a provider, for someone who is already seriously ill. To put it simply: the Natural Death Act governs the advance directive you write for the future, while the POLST is the doctor's order that translates your wishes into immediate, actionable medical instructions once serious illness has arrived.

Interestingly, the two are connected. The Washington State Department of Health explains that a POLST is a way of summarizing the wishes an individual has already identified in an advance directive such as a Health Care Directive or a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. In other words, the planning you do today with a directive can guide the POLST your provider prepares later. One does not replace the other. They work together across the arc of your care.

How a POLST Fits With a Healthcare Agent

If you have named a healthcare agent through a power of attorney, that person may be the one discussing and signing a POLST on your behalf when you cannot. A well-chosen agent who understands your values is invaluable in that conversation. The POLST captures the decision; your agent helps make sure the decision reflects what you would have wanted.

Why This Matters in Snohomish County

For families in Everett, Lynnwood, and across Snohomish County caring for a seriously ill parent or spouse, a POLST can prevent unwanted and distressing interventions during an emergency. It also spares family members the anguish of making high-stakes decisions on the spot with no guidance. When a serious diagnosis enters a family, especially one already navigating a separation or a blended household, having clear medical orders in place removes a layer of conflict at a moment when families most need calm.

Putting the Pieces Together

A POLST is a powerful tool, but it is only one piece of a complete plan. It works best alongside an advance healthcare directive and a healthcare power of attorney, each doing the job it was designed to do. The directive records your wishes, the power of attorney names your decision-maker, and the POLST turns all of that into medical orders when serious illness makes them necessary.

If you are building or updating an estate plan and want to understand how these documents fit together for your family, the Law Office of Chad Foster helps Snohomish County residents plan with clarity and confidence. Reach out to start the conversation.