DNR / Advance Directives in Senior Living Facilities: Lessons from the News

Lifesaving and other medical care policies of senior living facilities should be determined before senior loved ones move into the facilities, as we are reminded by a recent news story that has created much discussion and controversy.

News reports suggest that a California woman who laid dying while the staff in her independent living facility resisted pleas to perform CPR did know of the facility’s medical care policy and would have approved of their inaction.

It’s not our intent to comment on the facts nor what should or shouldn’t have been done in that situation. The topic of our feature segment in this episode of the Senior Care Corner Radio Show is the lessons and reminders that family caregivers of seniors can draw from the situation to help ensure that the wishes of our loved ones are honored.

DNR / Advance Directives Lessons

Key points from our feature segment in this episode include:

• Urge & help your senior loved one to decide up front whether they want lifesaving measures performed and then help them document those wishes;
• Learn about the medical care policies and procedures of senior living facilities being considered for your senior loved one before moving into one of them;
• Take appropriate steps to ensure that your senior loved one’s wishes are known to both administration and staff of their senior living facility or their professional caregivers if receiving care in their home; and,
• Follow up periodically with the policies, procedures and staff of the senior facility — not to mention whether to check back with your senior loved one to determine if her or his wishes have changed.

We discuss these points and more in this episode of the Senior Care Corner Radio Show.

News Items in this Episode

• Learning to Use Facebook May Help Give Adults Older Than 65 a Cognitive Boost
• Brain May Treat Wheelchair as Part of the Body
• Tooth Loss Associated with Higher Risk for Heart Disease
• More Regular Meals May Improve Dementia Care
• MetLife Research Outlines Future of Aging in Place

Links Mentioned in this Episode

• Seniors’ Five Wishes blog post and radio show

We hope you’ll find this episode informative and ask you to help us make it even more so. If you have experience with the DNR / advance directives wishes of a senior loved one in conjunction with their senior living facility, we hope you’ll share with the rest of the community.  Please leave a comment or email us through the contact page to help others learn from your experience.

Podcast Transcript – so you can follow along or read at your convenience