Authorities say an elderly woman being cared for at a California retirement facility died after a nurse at the facility refused to perform CPR on the woman after she had collapsed.
Local media reports say when the 86-year-old resident of Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield collapsed at the facility around 11 a.m. Tuesday a staff member called 911, but refused to give the woman CPR.
Bakersfield television station ABC23 reports that in in refusing the 911 dispatcher's insistence that she perform CPR, the nurse can also be heard telling the dispatcher that it was against the retirement facility's policy to perform CPR.
An ambulance arrived several minutes after the call and took the woman to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The retirement facility released a statement saying protocol was followed, but that a "thorough internal review of the matter" would be conducted.
Well, as bad as it seems, I can understand why they don't perform CPR. If the patient has a Do Not Resuscitate form on file and they do resuscitate they can be sued. Now what they need to do is have a quick and easy check for such a form.
Well, as bad as it seems, I can understand why they don't perform CPR. If the patient has a Do Not Resuscitate form on file and they do resuscitate they can be sued. Now what they need to do is have a quick and easy check for such a form.
They should be required to know who has one.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't most of the country legally require someone who knows life saving measures to at least try?
Well, as bad as it seems, I can understand why they don't perform CPR. If the patient has a Do Not Resuscitate form on file and they do resuscitate they can be sued. Now what they need to do is have a quick and easy check for such a form.
They should be required to know who has one.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't most of the country legally require someone who knows life saving measures to at least try?
It should but they probably aren't.
Not if they have a DNR. No life saving, resuscitation measures can be taken if there is a DNR.
My grandmother had a DNR order.
I've not heard of no CPR being a facility wide policy though. I find that kind of interesting. Hopefully residents and their guardians know that when they move in. One would think it would be part of the paperwork they sign.
Well, as bad as it seems, I can understand why they don't perform CPR. If the patient has a Do Not Resuscitate form on file and they do resuscitate they can be sued. Now what they need to do is have a quick and easy check for such a form.
They should be required to know who has one.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't most of the country legally require someone who knows life saving measures to at least try?
It should but they probably aren't.
Not if they have a DNR. No life saving, resuscitation measures can be taken if there is a DNR.
This is correct. And in fact, no one is legally required to try and save another person's life, even if they have the skill to do so. Most of the United States have "Good Samaritan" laws, which provide that a person who tries to save another person's life can't be sued for trying and failing or for trying and making things worse somehow. But that's as far was the laws go.
People have been sued for ignoring DNR orders. It's sucky to have to pay damages for saving a life.
Well, as bad as it seems, I can understand why they don't perform CPR. If the patient has a Do Not Resuscitate form on file and they do resuscitate they can be sued. Now what they need to do is have a quick and easy check for such a form.
They should be required to know who has one.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't most of the country legally require someone who knows life saving measures to at least try?
It should but they probably aren't.
Not if they have a DNR. No life saving, resuscitation measures can be taken if there is a DNR.
Well, as bad as it seems, I can understand why they don't perform CPR. If the patient has a Do Not Resuscitate form on file and they do resuscitate they can be sued. Now what they need to do is have a quick and easy check for such a form.
They should be required to know who has one.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't most of the country legally require someone who knows life saving measures to at least try?
It should but they probably aren't.
Not if they have a DNR. No life saving, resuscitation measures can be taken if there is a DNR.
While this is all true, according to the video I watched there was NO DNR for this woman.
Well, as bad as it seems, I can understand why they don't perform CPR. If the patient has a Do Not Resuscitate form on file and they do resuscitate they can be sued. Now what they need to do is have a quick and easy check for such a form.
They should be required to know who has one.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't most of the country legally require someone who knows life saving measures to at least try?
It should but they probably aren't.
Not if they have a DNR. No life saving, resuscitation measures can be taken if there is a DNR.
While this is all true, according to the video I watched there was NO DNR for this woman.
Did the nurse know that? Was that information easy to pull up?
I was just saying that the policy is understandable since they cannot be sued for not giving CPR but they be sued for giving it.
Did the nurse know that? Was that information easy to pull up?
I was just saying that the policy is understandable since they cannot be sued for not giving CPR but they be sued for giving it.
I wouldn't be so sure they can't be sued. I can see a wrongful death suit winning with the argument 'the nurse was there to help, knew how to help, and instead stood by and watched her die.'
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