New POLST Form Video Released by VNA Hospice & Palliative Care of Southern California
Claremont, CA (PRWEB) July 22, 2013 -- VNA Hospice & Palliative Care of Southern California announces the first in a series of video lectures derived from their monthly "Meet the Experts" community meetings. "Meet the Experts" provides community access to specialists in the care of patients with chronic, advanced or terminal diseases who need hospice or home care support. Many people with advanced diseases are able to remain for quite some time on their own outside of a formal care setting. Often family members provide the first line of support in this situation. Community education connects those who want to know a complete set of care options with experts who study and provide that care and stay in tune with the latest developments in advanced disease options. The videos will contain not only the public presentations but follow-up one-on-one interviews. The videos will be available on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/VNAHomeHealthHospice) and the VNA Hospice and Palliative Care of Southern California website (http://www.vnasocal.org).
The first video in the series will be explaining the Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, also known as POLST. The POLST is a form which patients with advanced or terminal disease carry with them throughout their care, instructing physicians and caregivers on patients’ chosen outline of options. With care options expanding for treatment of both advanced disease and end-of-life care, patients must consider carefully the course that care takes. Patients in treatment these days move between numerous doctors, hospitals and care facilities, with periods of time on their own back at home with in-home care from family and professional caregivers. The POLST informs all caregivers of patient wishes for kinds of treatments and parameters for issues like pain management and resuscitation directives.
VNA Hospice & Palliative Care of Southern California makes available POLST forms which give a wide variety of nuanced options for not just the large issues like end-of-life directives but the finer points of care options, as well. Patients carry their POLST form with them from provider to provider so care will be consistent. Dr. Timothy Dauwalder who gives the POLST lecture says about the form, "It allows freedom of choice to be treated in a way that is dignified, that you choose. It can include full treatment, modified treatments specific to your disease, and with addendums made with the legal right to be treated a certain way."
ABOUT VNA HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
VNA Hospice & Palliative Care of Southern California is a community-based charitable non-profit home care agency. For over 60 years, VNA has provided home health and hospice care for patients in Southern California and is a strong advocate and educator of advanced disease care.
Steve Lama, VNA Hospice & Palliative Care of Southern California, http://vnasocal.org, +1 (909) 447-7243, [email protected]
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