DeKalb Township speakers urge residents to complete advance care plans, explain POLST and hospice options

Kimberly Barrios, public relations and events coordinator for DeKalb Township, opened a medical emergency preparedness session by saying the township aims to help residents prepare for urgent health situations and connect them with local services.

Nanette Meares, a registered nurse and advanced care planning program lead for Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee and Valley West Hospitals, described the practical steps residents should take to make their health-care wishes known. "Technically, anyone 18 years of age or older can complete a power of attorney for health care document and should," Meares said, and she urged attendees to keep copies accessible and, when possible, stored in electronic medical records so clinicians can find them.

Meares outlined three types of documents the health system accepts: the Illinois short form, an option specific to Jehovah's Witness patients, and the Five Wishes booklet that includes a power-of-attorney form. She advised that valid, signed forms should be readily available to EMS and hospital staff; without such documents, she said, providers must follow the statutory priority list for surrogate decision-makers.

Jen Conley, bereavement coordinator and music therapist with Northern Illinois Hospice, discussed palliative and hospice care and addressed common misconceptions. Conley said palliative care can begin at any point in a serious illness to help manage symptoms and coordinate care with specialists. She described hospice as a philosophy and a team-based benefit that emphasizes comfort and support, noting that hospice services often include nursing, physician services, medications related to the diagnosis, medical equipment, and bereavement support for families.

"There has been research that has been done that shows that individuals with the same diagnosis ... actually live an average of 29 days longer with hospice than those in that same situation who did not choose to have the support of hospice care," Conley said, presenting hospice as a care option that can improve quality of life as well as symptom management.

Speakers also reviewed the POLST (provider orders for life-sustaining treatment) and DNR documents. Meares stressed that POLST is a medical order that must be signed by a physician, an advanced practice nurse, or a physician assistant and that EMS and hospitals rely on the physical or electronic document to follow expressed wishes. She added that signed advanced directives and POLST forms do not expire and can be uploaded to patient portals such as MyChart for field access.

The panel highlighted support resources: Northern Illinois Hospice and the township offer "What Matters Most" conversation cards to prompt family discussions, and community bereavement programs such as a six-week Bridge of Hope group beginning in mid-January 2025 and a Memorial Pillow workshop on 01/25/2025 (registration through DeKalb Public Library).

Barrios closed with practical next steps: the township will host on-site appointments most Thursdays and Fridays in January 2025 for residents to complete documents, and attendees can book by calling (815) 758-8282 or request literature electronically via admin@dekalbtownship.org.

The session emphasized separating discussion from formal orders: presenters repeatedly reminded residents that informal cues such as tattoos or bracelets are not substitutes for signed legal documents; EMS and hospitals require the actual signed form to act on a DNR or POLST.