CPR can crack ribs and only succeeds longterm in restarting a heart 20% of the time --

[DeschutesRiver]

157. Coincidentally, I just listened to a podcast covering the same thing

It specifically mentioned that in tv shows, 75% of the time CPR is shown as having been a success. Which leads people to believe that not giving CPR is just crazy. However, in real life, it is only around 8% successful, and of that percentage, only around 3% are lucky enough to resume their old lives just as they were - another 3% go vegetative, and the remaining end up dying (iirc). The odds were so horrifically low that I still am going to try to verify them to be certain (I'm on dialup, so it takes time! But your post seems to track with the podcast). I've put a link below, as you will probably find it interesting (you can listen to the podcast, and there are comments on the website worth considering as well).

All of the older doctors interviewed had either DNRs, or health directives, or a necklace or even tattos stating their wishes with regard to not doing tons of intervention should something happen to them, given what they'd seen as to the outcomes of some of these procedures esp in regards to older people.

I too, like many on this thread, had initially wondered why the heck the facility didn't do CPR. I then by happenstance listened to that podcast as it was next in line, and then gave the whole issue a ton more thought and reflection (and thanks for your link as well).

And realized that if I had chosen, in my old age, to live in a center specifically because it wouldn't do things like CPR, etc, but just call 911 instead, that I'd be suing them sideways if they'd revived me when I'd given instructions not to do so, and even chosen to live in a venue where it would not be done to me.

I am a bit flummoxed that some people would not let me have choices with regard to how I die, esp. on a progressive board where choices regarding how one lives are sacrosanct. As both should be. Yes, I get that we shouldn't just not do CPR because people are old, and just baggage to be disposed of; however, that doesn't seem to be the case here. You can't just say well, since it is possible that SOME people might just let oldsters die because they are useful, then we won't let ANY oldster go without CPR, even if that was their wish. I understand that there can be instances where the person's wishes cannot be known - whole different can of worms there. But given where this woman lived, this doesn't appear to be one of those instances.

So unless I've misread it, this isn't a case of not doing CPR only because the woman was old. Do people honestly believe I have no say in the matter and that my wishes with regard to death should be disregarded simply because I am old now? If I choose to live at a facility that will not perform CPR and is only allowed to call 911 in an emergency, is that not enough protection for my wishes in this regard? I'd have guessed it should have been clear because I live in such a place that these are my wishes too, but maybe some think that once we get older, that if we wish to chose our way to pass without much intervention, we must have lost our minds. Which just isn't fucking true.

I can see why doctors are going to the extreme of tattoing their decisions to be perfectly clear in such cases. When I get to be of a certain age, I will do so as well, rather than just depend upon a written document that others will disregard because of the nature of the emergency moment.

http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2013/jan/15/bitter-end/