DNR Decisions and Timing

One of the things that we talk about is DNAs, DNA CPR or DNRs. Has anybody heard of that? Do not resuscitate forms. Has anybody heard? There was quite a lot of talk about it during COVID. So now, when, have you heard of DNR forms? I've heard of it, but I can't remember what it is, but I've heard of it. So, historically they were always done sort of in hospital when a person was very unwell and they felt that maybe by resuscitating, by starting their heart again, they would be more unwell or actually it wouldn't be good. The effort of doing resuscitation, damaging the ribs or causing more problems, is not good for the patient. And so we would do DNR forms, which had a red border around them and we would sign to say the patient's not for resuscitation. So if their heart was to stop naturally, then we wouldn't go and do CPR on them. There was a lot of controversy. There was lots of concern about how those conversations were being had especially during COVID time. During COVID time people were saying oh this person's old he's not for resuscitation or this person's you know frail or lives by themselves you know they're not for resuscitation. Those aren't the reasons that we should be making those decisions and those conversations should be happening when you're well and when your um you know your mind is is right and you're not you haven't got an illness that's stopping you from thinking clearly and to be had with your with your families. So it's important to have it quite early and some people feel very strongly that no if my heart was going to stop naturally because I've come to the end of my life, I wouldn't want it to be restarted. Some people feel very strongly that no matter what I would want my heart to be restarted. So both of those things need to be, we need to document so everybody's clear that that's what's happening and that's part of the advanced care planning. you