I have a dear grandmother who is 97 and has been deteriorating for several years with dementia. She has been very clear when she was mentally alert that she wishes no efforts be made to prolong her life. She is now on a floor that provides a skilled level of care in a nsg home and she is a DNR there.
She has been a couple of times admited to local hospital for medical issues (chest pain and a fall).
I am out of state and my mother is her POA. I am wondering if when a patient is tranferred to an acute care facility is the DNR status kept or does my mother have to renew that for each hospitalization. I have a great fear of her having CPR done on her or any efforts to bring her back to life and causing her harm or injury.
Does it vary from institution to institution or does it need to be implemented with each and every hospitalization?
Another poster already mentioned POST/POLST forms. Can also see if your state recognizes DNR cards (provides for out of hospital DNR order).
Living Wills are very general forms, are usually written to apply only if "unable to make my own decisions and in a persistent vegetative state or terminally ill." Doesn't usually apply to acute situations. MPOAs are better suited for day-to-day decsions, especially when the appointed decision-maker has discusssed end of life situations with the person they are making decsions for.
In my experience with MPOAs--naming more than 1 person as decision maker is about the same as naming no one. AND, name a person willing to make the decision you would make for yourself if able; a spouse or child is not always able to make the decison you would want.
In Florida, there is a form, that the MD fills out, that has a small card on it that is good in hospital or out of it. There is a separate form for "in hospital" only.
The problem is getting the MD to sign it. Often while they may give lip service to "respecting pt's self determination rights", many are loath to actually practice it. I have had several relatives including my late father, that clearly indicated DNI/DNR status, just to have issues because there primary care MDs stalled/dithered with signing them as such. After becoming a nurse, I found that said MDs were notorious for disliking DNR orders and procrastinated or stalled signing them.
KneKno
106 Posts
Another poster already mentioned POST/POLST forms. Can also see if your state recognizes DNR cards (provides for out of hospital DNR order).
Living Wills are very general forms, are usually written to apply only if "unable to make my own decisions and in a persistent vegetative state or terminally ill." Doesn't usually apply to acute situations. MPOAs are better suited for day-to-day decsions, especially when the appointed decision-maker has discusssed end of life situations with the person they are making decsions for.
In my experience with MPOAs--naming more than 1 person as decision maker is about the same as naming no one. AND, name a person willing to make the decision you would make for yourself if able; a spouse or child is not always able to make the decison you would want.
A good resource site: http://wvethics.org/advance_directives_forms_laws