Read the Fine Print! And Watch Out for those Medical Directives!

To care or to kill:
what does your medical directive say?

My sister is in the hospital. She has pneumonia, the antibiotic-resistant form. Not too surprising really
since she was a 40-year smoker and has compromised lungs. She's very sick, but not terminally ill. In fact, amazingly, she does NOT have lung cancer and has a long history of coming back from illness.

Fortunately, Jeanne has a power of attorney (me) who is well-informed on end-of-life issues. I know that the MOST and POLST forms (identifying patients wishes for treatment) can be  life-threatening. They are being used to pressure vulnerable patients into choosing non-treatment. I knew it was happening, but got a graphic example of it this week with my sister's situation.