cross posted to B_H
I work in an alzheimers care facility. Basically it is a nursing home specifically for alzheimers patients to live out their last days in.
Some of our residents are full code due to the families requests. They are to be revived at all costs if possible if they crash. As I was doing my rounds friday night (I work midnights)I came across one of our residents who was non-responsive and not breathing. He was also a full code patient so I had to perform CPR on him. I did so for about 25 minutes before the supervisor came back over from one of the other buildings. I was working alone so I couldn't call anyone to come assist. She called the family and the paramedics who took another 40 minutes to arrive. I gave this man CPR for over an hour, which I must say did save his life, but looking back on it I can't help but wonder if I did the right thing. This man has deteriorated so much just in the last few months...he is bed bound, only gets put in his chair for meals, can't speak, he is basically a shell. I feel like I wish that I hadn't found him in time. That at least then he would be at peace. The only reason that didn't occur to me right away was because his family is a real pain in the ass, demanding, complaining about everything...In my mind if I had been the one there when he passed they probably would have tried to sue me for neglect or something. As it is I heard this morning that they were complaining that the hospital said he had two hairline fractures in his ribs from the CPR. The doctors said that it was amazing that given his age and frailty that I didn't collapse his chest completely. I did my best to revive him without injury and yet the family complains.
Some of our residents are full code due to the families requests. They are to be revived at all costs if possible if they crash. As I was doing my rounds friday night (I work midnights)I came across one of our residents who was non-responsive and not breathing. He was also a full code patient so I had to perform CPR on him. I did so for about 25 minutes before the supervisor came back over from one of the other buildings. I was working alone so I couldn't call anyone to come assist. She called the family and the paramedics who took another 40 minutes to arrive. I gave this man CPR for over an hour, which I must say did save his life, but looking back on it I can't help but wonder if I did the right thing. This man has deteriorated so much just in the last few months...he is bed bound, only gets put in his chair for meals, can't speak, he is basically a shell. I feel like I wish that I hadn't found him in time. That at least then he would be at peace. The only reason that didn't occur to me right away was because his family is a real pain in the ass, demanding, complaining about everything...In my mind if I had been the one there when he passed they probably would have tried to sue me for neglect or something. As it is I heard this morning that they were complaining that the hospital said he had two hairline fractures in his ribs from the CPR. The doctors said that it was amazing that given his age and frailty that I didn't collapse his chest completely. I did my best to revive him without injury and yet the family complains.