Should I Complete a MOLST if I’m Healthy?
Photo by Bahram Bayat on Unsplash
Question:
Is a MOLST appropriate for a healthy 65 year old to complete? Will COVID change that? A few years ago my PCP declined to complete a MOLST with me as I was “too healthy”? With COVID that can change so quickly, I feel I need one?
Response:
A MOLST is a Medical Order for Life Sustaining Treatment. It’s similar to a do not resuscitate (DNR) order that says not to restart your heart or breathing if either stop, but it’s much more detailed and subtle. You fill out a MOLST with your physician after a thorough discussion of your treatment options and the choices you would make if you were unable to express them yourself. These are generally completed once you have a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, not when you’re healthy and any treatment options are totally theoretical.
So, yes, being relatively young (65 is younger every day as I approach that age) and healthy, I agree with your doctor that you’re too healthy. I can’t see Covid-19 changing that, though it may mean that you want to be more specific with your communication to your health care agent.
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