OT: Elderly home nurse refuses to perform CPR, woman dies

For the naysayers of CPR, that very same sister survived a sudden cardiac arrest two years ago (Valentine's day). Did my brother-in-law make the right call by keeping my sister on a respirator. ABSOLUTELY. It's wonderful to have my sister alive and well.

I assume your sister was a few decades short of 87 when all this happened. So your sister's story is not pertinent to the case under discussion. And you did not say it was pertinent or and you did not criticize the person in the news. Good for you.

Just as I thought... the name-calling has started.... you newbies, don't get sucked into this... Sheriff

Amen, Sheriff. I am holding my own thoughts as my mother is in a memory care unit.

This center had a blanket policy of not lifting a finger to help anyone, DNR or not. If that is how they treat societies most vulnerable, society is void.

Its pretty sad when criminals are more humane...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlA7FkIHXMo

Cosmo,

When my elderly mother was alive, I wish I had someone like you as an advocate on my side. Your passion for the vulnerable is quite clear and greatly admirable.

Having said that, I think there is still alot to this story that is unknown and it is really premature in my opinion for anyone to be making any comments.

49er

If anyone ever tells you they do not want to be kept alive in a vegetative state by a machine and fluids from a bottle...........get up, unplug the TV and pour out their beer.

The California supreme court holds good Samaritans responsible for any harm they cause while giving aid. Most states will only hold Samaritans responsible if there was gross negligence, but not in California, they will hold you responsible for anything almost. This "nurse" was employed as a NON-medical person at this facility. She could have been held liable for any harm caused to the patient.

Had she given CPR and cracked a rib or punctured a lung (which you know if very possible with a patient of this age) she could have been sued. This is why the company has the policy - to protect it's employees. This was proven in 2008 when a good Samaritan pulled a driver from a car and the Samaritan was sued for supposedly causing paralysis to the driver. The car was smoking and could have easily caught fire. The good Samaritan's life was ruined after the lawsuit. She lost her job, her house... everything because she tried to help.

My mom lives in an assisted living facility and they have a nurse (not a registered nurse, more like a medical assistant) on duty 24/7. However, in the event of an emergency they are required to call 911 and wait for the EMT's. They are NOT permitted to administer CPR or AR. My mom does have a DNR on file with the assisted living facility. They make that clear when you sign the contract that they will not perform life saving first aid in case of emergency.

Dont forget, modern day CPR is supposed to be administered with the option of an AED on hand. As well as oxygen administration instead of blowing in your own air. The old days of blowing in your own air with direct mouth on mouth contact are over with. A professional place like a nursing home should not only have all nurses trained in CPR, they should also have multiple AEDs hanging on the walls and a portable oxygen tank, with staff trained to use them in combination.

CPR when administered with an AED on hand and when administered with oxygen instead of your own air is more successful than plain old CPR like a lot of you are thinking about.

Eric

My bet is that everyone who is so horrified by the refusal to do CPR has never actually seen it being done. It is a very violent act.

Two years ago my neighbor could not get his mother, who was in her mid-eighties, to answer the phone. She lived alone in the family home. Late in the afternoon he drove over to the house. He found her dead on the kitchen floor of a heart attack.

On the counter was an open jar of mayo, some slices of tomato and some lettuce. She apparently collapsed while preparing a sandwich for lunch.

He felt blessed and felt that his mother was blessed to die while still active and never suffering from diseases of old age.

Death at advanced age is a natural part of life and should not be feared.

So what? Im a former lifeguard and Ive seen people almost drown, with foam coming out of their mouth and their face turned blue.

Yeah, CPR aint that bad. Its not a violent act, its an attempt to save somebody's life who has gone into respiratory arrest and/or cardiac arrest. Suck it up.

America has turned into a nation of whiners and sissies and bleeding hearts. So you have to break some ribs. Who cares.

Eric

Cereal Killer wrote:My bet is that everyone who is so horrified by the refusal to do CPR has never actually seen it being done. It is a very violent act.

cosmo wrote:This center had a blanket policy of not lifting a finger to help anyone, DNR or not. If that is how they treat societies most vulnerable, society is void.

Its pretty sad when criminals are more humane...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlA7FkIHXMo

Sounds like a blueprint for Obomo care. Welcome to your future. Jim

My understanding of California Samaritan laws is that you are covered when giving medical help. The reason the car-wreck Samaritan mentioned earlier wasn't covered was that the act performed was legally not deemed to be "medical." I believe it is the act that must be considered medical for the person giving help to be covered by the law, not the person or the role or position held by the person.

Then again, I ain't no doc or lawyer.

pikov22 wrote:

cosmo wrote:"The woman who died in California did not have a Do Not Resuscitate order."

http://www.newson6.com/story/21476283/c ... efused-cpr

"It was later revealed that Ms Bayless had signed a Do Not Resuscitate form..."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z2McfEX0IM

???

"City fire officials say Bayless did not have a "do not resuscitate" order on file at the home."

http://www.sfgate.com/news/medical/arti ... 326960.php

???

"The company whose employee refused to administer CPR to a dying woman said Tuesday that the employee wrongly interpreted its policy. Glenwood Gardens is conducting a full internal investigation." The company said the employee was on voluntary leave during the process."

Heads are going to roll....

Ah the usual "management changed its mind retroactively due to bad press so we blame the employee doing what we told them to" trick. I hope she sues the pants of them.

BlackSpinner wrote:Another thing- WTF are they doing publishing 911 calls? What happened to all those vaunted privacy rules?
Since this was a medical emergency don't medical privacy laws apply?

Nope. Anyone with a police scanner can pick up 911 calls and listen in.