A Medical Power of Attorney (also known as a Health Care Power of Attorney) gives someone you trust the legal authority to act on your behalf regarding health care decisions if you ever become incapacitated or unable to communicate.
Why is this important? If your parents (or spouse) has an accident or for some reason is incapacitated, they may not be able to discuss their medical care options. I am including as much practical information as I can to help the reader. Many people don't realize there is a P.O.A. specifically for health care.
When my father was in the hospital psychiatric ward, they asked us if any of us had a health care P. O. A. At that time we did not, so they gave us forms at the hospital to fill out.
This is my first piece of advice: Get health care powers of attorney for your parents in the event one is needed. Otherwise, the staff at the hospital will not follow any directions you give them.
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) I went to the ohiobar.org for this information for the explanation. We did have this for my dad.
What does DNR mean?
DNR stands for “Do Not Resuscitate.” A person who does not wish to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed, for example, may make this wish known through a DNR order. A DNR order also addresses the various methods used to revive people whose hearts have stopped functioning or who have stopped breathing. Examples of these treatments include chest compressions, electric heart shock, artificial breathing tubes and special drugs.
When completed by a doctor (or certified nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist, as appropriate), these standardized DNR orders allow patients to choose the extent of the treatment they wish to receive at the end of life. A patient with a DNR Comfort Care-Arrest Order will receive all the appropriate medical treatment, including resuscitation, until the patient has a cardiac arrest (heart has stopped beating) or pulmonary arrest (breathing has stopped), at which point comfort care will be provided. By requesting a DNR Comfort Care Order (DNR-CC), a patient chooses other measures such as drugs to correct abnormal heart rhythms. With this order, comfort care or other requested treatment is provided at a point before the heart or breathing stops. Comfort care (also called symptom management or palliative care) involves keeping the patient comfortable with pain medication and providing palliative (supportive medical) care. A DNR-CC does not mean “do not treat.” Your doctor can explain the differences in DNR orders.
At the time of this printing, Ohio has two trigger points for the DNR protocol (the DNR Comfort Care and DNR Comfort Care-Arrest), but DNR protocol changes are being considered. Consult your health care professional for details.
**I suggest you speak to your doctor(s) about these. Usually the patient or the spouse is consulted when this paperwork is being completed. It was difficult for my mother to choose the DNR for dad. Luckily, we never had to use it.***
Does everyone want CPR?
Although in some cases it does save lives, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) frequently is not successful or does not benefit those who receive it, especially elderly people or those with serious medical conditions. Even if revived, the person can be left with painful injuries, or in a debilitated state, or with brain damage resulting from oxygen deprivation. Resuscitation can involve such things as drugs, forcefully pressing on the chest, giving electric shocks to restart the heart or placing a tube down the nose or throat to provide artificial breathing. People with terminal illnesses or other serious health conditions may prefer not to be resuscitated when the end nears. For more information about the pros and cons of CPR and whether it is right for you, talk with your doctor, your family and, perhaps, your religious leader.
Although in some cases it does save lives, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) frequently is not successful or does not benefit those who receive it, especially elderly people or those with serious medical conditions. Even if revived, the person can be left with painful injuries, or in a debilitated state, or with brain damage resulting from oxygen deprivation. Resuscitation can involve such things as drugs, forcefully pressing on the chest, giving electric shocks to restart the heart or placing a tube down the nose or throat to provide artificial breathing. People with terminal illnesses or other serious health conditions may prefer not to be resuscitated when the end nears. For more information about the pros and cons of CPR and whether it is right for you, talk with your doctor, your family and, perhaps, your religious leader.
If you want to read more, go to www.ohiobar.org. Your state should have information online about this. Also, you can always ask a doctor.
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