“Do you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops—meaning if it happened at this moment, would you?”

Depending on the stage of a person’s life, many reply, “No, I don’t want to be resuscitated and those wishes are documented in my Living Will (aka Advance Directives).”

The difference between a Living Will and a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order and how they are used is a common misunderstanding among older adults and their adult children.

The Problem

If your heart stops and you are unconscious (aka cardiac arrest), someone will call 911.

Paramedics will arrive and attempt to resuscitate you by default. They will not ask to see a copy of your Living Will or Advance Directives while fighting to save your life.

How will you communicate your wishes outside of your legal advance directives?

Unlike most Americans, you have been conscientious about legally preparing for the future. You have been thoughtful and diligent about getting your ducks in a row.

Our Observation

We estimate at least 90% of older adults and families we serve do not recognize the difference between the legal documents designed to carry out your end-of-life wishes and a Physician-signed Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order.

The reason may be that when we are younger, our Advance Directive may indicate the desire to prohibit life-sustaining interventions in the event of a lengthy coma with no reasonable expectation to survive. (Do you recall the case of Terri Schiavo?) When medical professionals have determined your body cannot function without artificial means (i.e. a ventilator) our Living Will reveals our wishes to family.  However, outside of traumatic permanent injuries, most of us want to be resuscitated when we are young.

Older adults often feel differently. By their advanced years, many adults have dealt with cancers, several chronic conditions such as COPD, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, dementia, etc. By the time they reach a certain age, they may feel fulfilled and are comfortable with letting nature take its course.

The Solution

If you do not want to be resuscitated, then it is time to talk to your doctor. Debbie Aggen RN, CMC, CDP tells her clients, “A DNR is not a document written up by an attorney. It is a medical order from the doctor. Medical professionals have to follow a doctor’s order, that includes Paramedics, EMT, hospitals, nurses and home care aides or others who may be in your home.“

Ask your doctor if it is time to consider a DNR.

Questions to Ask

Discuss medical interventions and how they may affect you with your doctor. Medicare will cover the doctor conversation.

Here are questions to start the dialogue:

• What are the chances that CPR will save your life?
• What happens to my body when CPR is administered?
• When would artificial nutrition be appropriate?
• What if I just want to be kept comfortable? When would respiratory therapy be considered?
• DNR: Where should the DNR go and who should have it?

The two most important places a DNR should be kept:

• The Refrigerator
• In Your Wallet.

Make several copies and make sure your family and doctor also have a copy.

Consider how a Living Will and a DNR affects your life.

Your life is your choice.

Still Have Questions?

Do you need additional information about a DNR? Contact Us. We look forward to answering your questions.

It can be a little confusing. Both terms use the word care.  When an older adult needs help, we commonly think of someone who can come to the home and help around the house. They are known as Aides (or caregivers, certified nurse’s aides, companion, private duty aides).  While this is true, isn’t it also true that older adults need help with more complex tasks such as advocacy, coordinating services, medication, Dr. appointments, managing finances, emergencies, etc.?  Are Aides expected to perform those tasks?

The answer is no.  A son or daughter would usually perform those higher-level duties. But what if an older adult didn’t have family support?  (We’ll get to that later.)

Here’s what an Aide would be doing:

Many family members help with personal care (ADLs) and Care Management. Care Management which can be described as all the other aspects of life: advocacy, care coordination, Dr. appointments, decision support, medication management, and being available 24/7 for an emergency.

Here’s what Care Management would be doing:

Consultations are a big part of Care Management. Individuals and families are often faced with a learning curve to solve problems and concerns such as,

• “Would all of our lives be better if she were in an assisted living?”
• “How can I get him to accept help?”
• “How do I handle worsening memory loss ?”
• “Am I doing the right things?”
• “Who will be there for me as I age?”

For those who do not have enough family support, there are major benefits to hiring an Aging Life Care™ Professional. As we age it’s important to have healthcare advocacy and other support 24/7. Care Management will help create a team of reputable experts to keep everyone in check and focused on the best results for the client. Think of us as surrogate daughters with vast knowledge in aging well!

Caring Considerations 571-488-9396  [email protected]

*Aging Life Care™ Professional, Certified Care Manager and/or RN, Licensed Social Worker

5 Things an Aging Life Care™ Professional Did Today – The last one may surprise you!

You asked your attorney, “How do families cope with all they have to know about taking care of an aging parent?  When do they find the time and how do they know they’re making the best decisions?” That’s when your attorney gave you our number and after a brief conversation you recognized this was the help you had been looking for.