Key Takeaways
- A living will is a legal document you sign stating your wishes about life-sustaining treatment if you can’t speak for yourself.
- A DNR (do-not-resuscitate) order is a doctor’s order telling medical staff not to perform CPR if your heart or breathing stops.
- A POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment; names vary by state) is a set of doctor’s orders for people with serious illness that covers CPR and other treatments.
- Emergency responders generally follow DNR and POLST orders, not living wills, so seriously ill people often need both.
- Most healthy adults need a living will and a health care power of attorney; a DNR or POLST is usually for people who are seriously ill or frail.
The key difference: your document vs. your doctor’s order
- A living will is your statement of wishes. It guides your doctors and your health care agent when you can’t communicate.
- A DNR and a POLST are medical orders, signed by a doctor (and in some states a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) after talking with you or your agent. They tell medical staff what to do right now.
Side-by-side comparison
| Living will | DNR order | POLST | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your written wishes | A medical order about CPR only | Medical orders about CPR and other treatments |
| Who signs it | You (with witnesses or notary, per state law) | A doctor or other authorized clinician | A clinician, usually with you or your agent |
| Who it’s for | Any adult | Usually people with serious illness or frailty | People with serious illness or frailty |
| When it applies | When you can’t communicate and are terminally ill or permanently unconscious | When your heart or breathing stops | Now, in the current health situation |
| Do paramedics follow it? | Usually not directly | Yes, if it’s a valid out-of-hospital DNR | Yes |
| Travels across care settings | As a document you carry or file | Depends on the type | Designed to follow you everywhere |
Why paramedics may not follow a living will
Emergency medical services are trained to start CPR unless they see a valid medical order not to. A living will typically requires interpretation, such as a doctor determining that you’re terminally ill, which paramedics can’t do at the scene. That’s why people with serious illness who don’t want CPR usually ask their doctor for an out-of-hospital DNR or a POLST.
POLST by any other name
Many states use different names for the same idea: MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment), POST, MOST or COLST. The forms are usually brightly colored so emergency crews can find them quickly, often on the refrigerator.
Which documents do you need?
- Every adult: a living will and a health care power of attorney, plus a HIPAA release. See living will vs. advance directive.
- People with serious illness or advanced age: talk to your doctor about a DNR or POLST based on your living will and goals.
Frequently asked questions
No. A living will is your own written statement of wishes. A DNR is a doctor’s order that tells medical staff not to perform CPR.
DNR and POLST orders are generally intended for people with serious illness or frailty. Healthy adults typically express their wishes through a living will and a health care power of attorney.
Usually not directly. Emergency responders generally need a valid DNR or POLST order to withhold CPR.
A doctor or other authorized clinician signs it, usually after discussing your goals with you or your health care agent.
Yes. You or your health care agent can ask the clinician to change or cancel it as your health or wishes change.
Keep reading
- Estate Planning Checklist: The Documents Everyone NeedsA plain-English estate planning checklist: the will, living will, powers of attorney and other documents everyone needs, plus what to organize and when to update.
- What Is a Living Will? How It Works and What to IncludeA living will records your wishes about life-sustaining treatment if you can't speak for yourself. Learn what it covers, when it applies and how it differs from a will.
- Living Will vs. Advance Directive: What’s the Difference?What is an advance directive? It's the umbrella term for your written health care instructions. Learn how living wills, health care proxies and advance directive forms fit together.
- Will vs. Trust: Which Do You Need?Compare a will and a revocable living trust on probate, privacy, cost and control. Learn when a will is enough and when a trust makes sense.
- What Happens If You Die Without a Will?If you die without a will, state intestacy law decides who inherits, who manages your estate and who raises your kids. Here's what typically happens.
- Funeral Planning Checklist: How to Plan AheadA step-by-step funeral planning checklist: burial or cremation, the service, costs, paperwork and how to make sure your family can find your wishes in time.
- How to Avoid Probate: 6 Common StrategiesProbate can be slow, public and costly. Learn six common ways to pass assets directly to your heirs, from beneficiary designations to a living trust.
- How to Choose an Executor for Your Will (and What They Do)Your executor carries out your will. Learn what an executor does, who makes a good choice, and the mistakes to avoid when naming one.
- Pet Trust: How to Provide for Your Pets After You’re GonePets can't inherit money, but a pet trust can fund their care. Learn how pet trusts work, how they compare with a will, and how to choose a caregiver.
- What Is a Living Trust? How It Works, Pros and ConsA living trust holds your assets during life and passes them to your heirs without probate. Learn how revocable living trusts work, what they cost, and who needs one.
- What Is Probate? How the Process Works, Step by StepProbate is the court process for settling an estate. Learn what happens in probate, how long it takes, what it costs, and which assets skip it entirely.
- How to Make a Will: Step-by-Step Guide and Legal RequirementsLearn how to make a valid will: what to include, who can witness it, whether it needs a notary, and the common mistakes that can make a will fail.
- Letter of Instruction: What to Include for Your FamilyA letter of instruction tells your family where everything is and what you want. Learn what to include, how it differs from a will, and where to keep it.
- Digital Estate Planning: What Happens to Your Online AccountsWhat happens to your email, photos, social media and online accounts when you die or become incapacitated? A practical guide to digital estate planning.
- How Much Does a Will Cost? Lawyer vs. Online vs. DIYA simple will can cost nothing or several thousand dollars depending on how you make it. Compare attorney, online and DIY costs, and what's included at each price.
- Do You Need a Lawyer to Make a Will?No state requires a lawyer to make a valid will, and many people can do it themselves. Here's when a DIY or online will works and when an attorney is worth it.
- Last Will vs. Living Will: What’s the Difference?A last will controls your property after death; a living will states your medical wishes while you're alive. Learn how they differ and why most adults need both.
- Executor vs. Trustee: What’s the Difference?An executor settles your estate through probate under your will; a trustee manages assets held in a trust, sometimes for years. Compare their roles, powers and how to choose.
Don’t leave your family guessing
Put your health care wishes in writing with a living will, HIPAA release and medical authorization. The No Brainer Box adds a last will, a revocable trust and health care and financial powers of attorney.
- Answer a few simple questions online
- Download your completed, ready-to-sign forms
- Sign them and keep copies in your account
This guide is general educational information written by the No Brainer Forms Team. It is not legal advice, and No Brainer Forms is not a law firm. Laws and signing requirements vary by state; for advice about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.