Dispelling Hospice Myths: Hospice Requires Patients to Have a DNR

If you choose hospice for your loved one, does that mean they must comply with a DNR order before being accepted into hospice care? The answer is no. While most patients in hospice have a DNR, it is not required. Therefore, you could reap the benefits of hospice service and still have the directive to administer CPR and take life-saving measures if the patient stops breathing or goes into cardiac arrest.

What Is a DNR?

A DNR is an order that means “do not resuscitate.” When a healthcare professional sees a DNR with a patient, they are to comfort the patient without administering life-saving treatments. Most patients are in hospice care because they have a terminal illness or condition that is not going away. This illness can cause the body to shut down and naturally pass away.

A DNR makes it clear that the patient does not want to put off the inevitable death. If a DNR is not present, it is the doctor’s obligation to perform CPR or do what it takes to try to keep them alive.

In conjunction with a DNR, you may have a living will. This is a healthcare directive that includes the DNR and other care instructions if the patient cannot communicate their wishes. A DNR is needed along with a living will because, in the case of an emergency, the EMTs would not stop to look up and read through a living will. With a DNR, each patient is marked with a wristband or tag stating they do not desire life-saving treatments.

Contact Bonita Springs Healthcare Services

Please contact our team at Bonita Springs Healthcare Services if it is time to find a trusted hospice team for you or your loved one. We are ready to help.