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My mom is currently in the hospital after taking a fall. She is terminal (breast & posible brain cancer). We have it in both of our wills a paragraph that states our wishes should we become incapacitated, something to the effect of “we want no extrema measures taken to prolong our life”.. Is that a “DNR”? If not, what do I need to do to get one for my mom? And I’m assuming I’ll need to give that to the doctor whose currently taking care of my mom while she’s in the hospital. Their plan is to transfer her to a rehab facility. I’m also assuming the rehab place will need a copy of the DNR as well?? Please, any advice on this & how to proceed. We are both each others POA for health & finances (in our wills we had made up together at the same time 10 yrs ago). Thank you.

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A DNR is just a Do Not Resuscitate order

Ask the hospital for a POLST form. This form outlines more than just DNR (do not resuscitate ).
It's bright pink with black lettering. She can pick from whatever choices for her ending care she wants.
It will become part of her chart and will be noted on the front of the chart to not resuscitate.

Because transfers to other facilities can be hectic, make sure the rehab has the copy and understands her wishes. Have them show it to you.
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You need to have POLST form filled out and signed by a doctor. A health care directive is more like a request, they can respect it or ignore it. A POLST is a medical order, they have to honor it.
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Yes to above, but I think it can be different colors in different states. It is Orange in my state. We have 3 on my mom. One is taped to her bedroom door. One is in my purse along with a copy of POA. One is in the motorhome from when we did a bit of travel.

I know my step mom, with no known medical issues, also has them in both cars and her home. She informed me of this.
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The problem with having that kind of directive in a Will is that in all probability nobody is going to look for it until after you pass. If you have funeral directions in your Will that could also pose the same problem - grieving family does not always consider their inheritance until after several days have gone by.
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My understanding is that the only thing a DNR forbids is to re-enliven the patient with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or ACLS (advanced cardiac life support). Other than that, the doctors and nurses are obligated to help improve the existing medical issue.

A DNR notice can be shown on a paper (different colors in different states), or on the wrist of the patient as a bracelet, if they live in a ALF, nursing home care or are in the hospital.

The DNR paperwork is normally within the patient's medical history which is transferred when the patient is transferred.
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We just did out wills, Our "DNR's" are a part of it.
We have not done the POLST forms, but we're young enough that our attorney told us not to worry about them right now. Said to re-visit that in a few years.

The important thing is that your family know your wishes, and where to access the forms.
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You need a DNR. The will can back up this request. At 80+ my Moms primary had no problem signing one. I had one here at home for the EMTs if they were needed. One with the visiting nurse. Because NJ now requires them on a green form, the hospital had one and the Rehab and NH all signed by the doctors at that facility. My Moms POA for medical read she wanted no extreme measures or feeding tube.
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It is also important to include a gastric feeding tube among the procedures you do not want, if you do not. The MD wanted to put one in my husband (with moderate dementia) after a major stroke that left him unable to walk or speak clearly and with a loss of central vision so that he could not watch TV or read. I had seen my stepfather gradually lose his mind when he was totally paralyzed but with gastric feeding tube. My husband and I both knew we did not want that.
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You might consider requesting the treating physician order a palliative care consult. During that consultation they will be able to clarify your mothers options and assist your family in seeing her wishes are respected.
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Second Arleeda's advice on tube feeding. For my father's situation, this is more of an undesirable intervention than CPR would be.
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Hangingon61, is your Will a "Living Will" which has your wishes if you are in a hospital, etc.? If it is in a regular Will, as cwillie had mentioned, no one will see it until after you pass.

It is better to have a "Medical Directive" drawn up by an "Elder Law Attorney", this legal document gives directions on your care. My parents both had such a document and it was such a great guideline for me to follow. I also have such a document for myself.
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Cover all bases by hiring an elder law attorney to document the Do Not Resuscitate order.
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Yes, your wishes stated in your will are consistent with "DNR, but hospital staff have no way of knowing what is in your will. You need to have the actual DNR form (POLST is the new version) in the chart/ medical record, which must be signed by both your mother and her physician. The POLST covers all levels of intervention requested, from "do everything" to "no heroic measures" to "do not resuscitate." You will need to make several copies, to have on hand for ambulance rides, other facilities, readmission, etc. If your mother is no longer able to sign the form for reasons of dementia/ incompetence, then whoever is assigned to be her Health Care Power of Attorney (HC-POA) will need to sign it. The Social Worker at the hospital is the best person to ask for this form. Make sure, once it is in place, that the staff are reminded about it whenever plans & decisions are made. Most hospitals will place a DNR wristband on a pt. with this kind of POLST selection, and place a bright orange or red sticker on the person's chart. But now, with computer charting, it is difficult to tell quickly if a patient is DNR, and sometimes staff will err on t he side of "do everything," much to the dismay of the patient & their family. So be clear, don't hesitate to remind staff, and share this information with others involved with her care---don't assume it is being communicated to all services. You should also know that the moment a patient enters the OR, a DNR is automatically rescinded---all patients who are under the supervision of a surgeon in the OR are considered "FULL CODE," so keep that in mind when making any decisions about surgeries/ procedures. A DNR order can always be rescinded or revoked by a patient or their HC-POA. So putting one in place now does not mean you cannot make any changes down the line, if you choose.
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A DNR is a document that you must keep with you at all times. Or at least a copy of it.
The newer form is called a POLST (Physicians Order for Life Sustaining Treatment) This document goes into greater detail about treatment options.
the reason I say it must be with you is..
If you are out and paramedics are called their "job" is to save your life. If you do not have the document with you they will do just that.
If you are at home and the document is not in view when paramedics arrive they will do their "job" and try to save your life.
I was always told..If it is not available..It does not exist.
I was also told that a DNR is "suspended" if the person is having surgery. 
Normally the DNR or POLST is printed on bright colored paper that is easily seen. Typically kept on the refrigerator where it will be seen and where family members can get it at a moments notice.

The POLST covers the following.
CPR
Medical Intervention, Full treatment, Selective treatment or comfort treatment.
Medically Administered Nutrition, Long term, Trial period or None at all
As you can see it is much more detailed than the old DNR
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And a personal opinion here...
CPR works great on TV. It may work well if you are younger and in good health (go figure that)
But do know when they do CPR your ribs will be broken, your sternum will probably be broken as well.
This is due to the great amount of pressure that is needed to be applied to the chest.
So if you are frail you now have to recover from the heart attack as well as many broken bones. If you have other health conditions dealing with these new problems may make things much more difficult.
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