Posted on 03/03/2013 2:19:31 PM PST by Nachum
A 911 dispatcher pleaded with a nurse at a Bakersfield, Calif., senior living facility to save the life of an elderly woman by giving her CPR, but the nurse said policy did not allow her to, according to a newly released audiotape of the call.
"Is there anybody there that's willing to help this lady and not let her die?" the dispatcher asked in a recording of the 911 call released by the Bakersfield Fire Department.
"Not at this time," the nurse said.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday when 87-year-old Lorraine Bayless collapsed at Glenwood Gardens, a senior living facility in Bakersfield.
In the seven-minute, 16-second recording, the nurse told the dispatcher it was against the facility's policy for employees to perform CPR on residents.
With every passing second, Bayless' chances of survival were diminishing. The dispatcher's tone turned desperate.
"Anybody there can do CPR. Give them the phone please. I understand if your facility is not willing to do that. Give the phone to that passerby," the dispatcher said. "This woman is not breathing enough. She is going to die if we don't get this started."
(Excerpt) Read more at gma.yahoo.com ...
The nursing home confiremed its policy is to wait for EMS to get there and start CPR.
What the hell? What satanic vision inspired this policy, what bureaucratic POS dreamed it up? The place is named wrong; it’s Screwtape Gardens.
I am a nurse and an EMT. I cannot imagine working in a place that tells me not to do CPR on someone who wants it done, although I will honor a DNR. If you wait ten minutes for EMS to get there, you might as well not bother with CPR at all.
The ever growing love of death, both individual and collective.
The odds of her survival were remote at best. Why risk being sued for doing it wrong or against the patient’s will, for such a low chance of survival. The facility was just being smart. Harsh, yes, but they aren’t in that business to make mortals live forever.
Six or eight years ago, a relative and I were in the drive of his house and noticed a commotion at the neighboring farm. A car was parked beside the road, hazard lights flashing, and three or four kids were running around screaming beside a couple of tractors in the neighbors yard. We hopped in the car and drove the quarter mile down to his place, and learned that the farmer had got himself wrapped up between the drive wheels of the separate tractors as he tried to jump start one from the other. My relative drove quickly back to his place and got one of his tractors and a chain, which we hooked up to the drive wheel of the smaller tractor. The poor devil, at this point, was still alive and talking to us; I was an army medic and figured I might be able to help. Just as we started to pull the tractors apart, an ambulance pulled up, paramedics rushed out and considered the situation, then ordered us to do nothing, informing us that the medical examiner was on his way. They would not allow us to do anything, threatening us with possible arrest if we tried to pull the tractors apart, despite our protests that he didn’t need a medical examiner, he needed paramedics. Nonetheless, they made us wait. When the medical examiner finally showed up about twenty minutes later, the poor guy was long dead, and once he was pronounced, they let us go ahead and separate the tractors.
It’s not likely that anything could have been done for the guy; when we got him out his guts spilled out on the ground: one of the tractor’s axles had disemboweled him. But to this day I’ll be sorely tempted to refuse to aid a person in this type of predicament if I find out the guy’s a lawyer. The lousy bastards are ruining this country.
True, but common areas at an old people’s home ought to have a defibrillator. Witnessed collapse, immediate defibrillation and CPR could bring that 8% up. Although an 87 y.o.’s chances of making it out of the hospital after such an event are very poor.
The nurse and facility should be charged with murder.
Just wanted to say that in the Bakersfield area people are more likely to be CONSERVSTIVE than liberal. I know a lot of people think “fruits and nuts” but so do most people in Bakersfield about the coastal Calis.
Sorry, I have to disagree.
There's nothing in the article indicating that any DNR was in effect or that this was an end-of-life facility. Had the patient signed a DNR order, the nurse could have just informed the dispatcher of that fact and avoided all this.
If the people who put grandma in the home were not aware of that “policy” that home will be sued up the tuckus. As well it should if that is the case.
Wonder if grandma knew it was their policy.
the article says there was NO DNR
Assisted living is not a nursing home. The one my uncle is in will not give him meds on a daily basis. They will provide no medical assistance. This is spelled out very clearly at the outset.
Our family has been through the gauntlet from assisted living to full care nursing homes to hospice care.
I know this whole episode sounds cold...but as long as we keep shipping our old folks out to the rest home because they are inconvenient, this is what happens.
I hope the family takes action to sue the owner. They are scared to do anything that makes them liable. I understand how this crap got started. But I can’t imagine a worker sitting there and doing nothing.
The family has said the staff were correct to respect the woman’s DNR. They don’t plan to sue and probably have no grounds to do so.
What bugs me about DNRs is that patient's wishes can change as their condition changes. It's easy to state that you want to be DNR when you don't envision being one any time soon. More than a few times I heard patients express wishes that were contrary to their DNR orders. Sometimes their verbal requests were honored. Sometimes not.
Wonder who called 911 in this story. Someone told the dispatcher that the patient wasn't "breathing enough." If the woman collapsed, perhaps it was another resident or visitor who called. Can you imagine the trauma of watching someone dying in front of you and staff not rendering assistance? Sounds like the dispatcher was aware that others were present since she asked that the phone be given to someone nearby. I hope the poor woman in this story lost consciousness as soon as she collapsed. May she rest in peace.
I have told my kids I want full code. A lot of people don’t.
Did you see that in another article? The linked article makes no mention of a DNR or any statement from the family.
I linked to a Daily Mail article on the first page. It has all the details.
I wonder if that elderly woman has any sons like me?
Sued in the past is the correct answer. It’s likely someone broke a rib giving CPR and became a defendant along with the nursing home. I recall one nursing home that had a problem with government inspectors. One told them to remove the non-slip stickers in the tubs and showers—would cause foot fungus. Another told them to keep the stickers and avoid broken hips. Let’s see: foot fungus or broken hip? broken rib or death? Such tough decisions.
I had several relatives who lived into their late 90s and into their 100s, my favorite aunt living to age 99. If this had happened to her when she was 87, we would all have missed out on 12 years of her life, during which she continued to give joy and inspiration to many.
That’s just criminal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.