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Question:

Is a MOLST appropriate for a healthy 65 year old to complete?  Did COVID change that?  A few years ago my PCP declined to complete a MOLST with me as I was “too healthy”?  With COVID we know that 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) and healthy, I agree with your doctor that you’re too healthy. I can’t see Covid-19 changing that. However, it does highlight the need to appoint an agent to make health care decisions for you. Depending on your state, this is done through a health care proxy or power of attorney for health care. And it makes the importance of discussing your health care preferences with your health care agent all the more clear.

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