I don't think you comprehend what the purpose of the DNR is...it's to endure that they DO NOT survive if they get sicker. And they initiate it and sign it.
And You worked there, scary ..HaHa...
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DNR, really means don't try to do heroic measures to prolong life. You know how many times I did CPR on a 90 + person without a DNR order? To many. You would do CPR, and push their ribs right through to the bed. . The Paramedics would do CPR until they got into the ambulance then stop. Starting again when the doors opened at the hospital. DN Resuscitate, really means bringing back from the dead. If you saw someone in the process of choking you would save them. But if when you found them, they had already passed out and no longer breathing you would not initiate CPR.
With a DNR, some can not even have surgery as this would mean being intubated, and some people would not be able to be taken back off the line after they were on it. This can cause a major dilemma for medical staff as it might then push the envelope of an assisted suicide. All kinds of slippery slopes with a DNR.
Neither of those posts support your comment...quite the opposite.
A lot of homes require a DNR from the family as a condition of residence ....and families agree. So no, MORE seniors would have have been saved.
And the legacy of the problems with Private LTC facilities rests with Jean Chrétien...always follow the money...:)
I worked for the City of Toronto in one of 10 metro owned homes for over 30 years. I have never heard of a DNR order being needed before admission. It is suggested strongly by the Dr.s and all medical personal, but they cannot compel you sign one. When I worked at a LTC facility, about 90% of our home of 250 residents had one , but 10% did not. At every resident care conference which was held held twice yearly with all pertinent home personal present, the POA would be asked if a change of order was desired. At any time the POA could arrange a meeting to change the order.
Will we ever have the stats to show how many would-could have been saved by intubation? Remember that they all had underlying conditions. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly in LTC. It was a disaster waiting to happen.