Advanced directives

[Saraphin]

If you have an advanced Health directive will it still be followed in a suicide situation say you are found and they tried to resuscitate you or take you to the hospital and try to put a breathing tube in you or will they have to follow the advanced health directive if I have one that states that I don't want any of those things

 

[Trainwreck]

Anyone know the answer to this? I filled out an advanced directive recently and had it notarized. Would suicide attempt make it invalid?

 

[k75]

I've researched this before. I only looked into the situation in the US, but it looks like most states have ethics laws that basically say ignore the DNR if the condition requiring it follows a suicide attempt.

Also, I found several things that basically said if there's any ambiguity at all, resuscitate until you can clear things up. So basically, if you can't respond and they have any doubts, they will try to revive you until they can get confirmation of your wishes and that you're rational.

So I think it's safe to assume as far as suicide goes, even if you have a properly notorized advanced directive, it will be ignored for ethical reasons.

 

[Trainwreck]

I've researched this before. I only looked into the situation in the US, but it looks like most states have ethics laws that basically say ignore the DNR if the condition requiring it follows a suicide attempt.

Also, I found several things that basically said if there's any ambiguity at all, resuscitate until you can clear things up. So basically, if you can't respond and they have any doubts, they will try to revive you until they can get confirmation of your wishes and that you're rational.

So I think it's safe to assume as far as suicide goes, even if you have a properly notorized advanced directive, it will be ignored for ethical reasons.

Thank you, I figured this was probably the case, but was hoping to be wrong.

 

[gingerplum]

Honestly? A DNR is ignored not so much for ethical reasons, but for liability. Not using every possible life-saving intervention puts EMS and the county at risk for a potential lawsuit... at least here, stateside.

 

[sleepy dog]

A suicide attempt does not affect an advanced directive. There are 2 different things. There is an advanced directive. There is a do not resuscitate order which is part of the advanced directive. But it might be different in each state. If you fill out an advanced directive but not a DNR order, you will get emergency treatment. You will need to place the DNR order somewhere VISIBLE, like next to your bed on a table. It must be noticeable by the EMS people.

 

[Trainwreck]

If I could get a DNR, I would, but I would never be able to get a doctor to sign it since I'm not terminal. Quality of life doesn't seem to matter much to them. But my Advanced Directive does have no feeding tubes, no ventilators, etc. My mom is my representative, and knows/accepts my wishes. Hopefully all goes well, I won't need to worry about it anyway.

 

[gingerplum]

If I could get a DNR, I would, but I would never be able to get a doctor to sign it since I'm not terminal. Quality of life doesn't seem to matter much to them. But my Advanced Directive does have no feeding tubes, no ventilators, etc. My mom is my representative, and knows/accepts my wishes. Hopefully all goes well, I won't need to worry about it anyway.

You don't need a physician signature

If I could get a DNR, I would, but I would never be able to get a doctor to sign it since I'm not terminal. Quality of life doesn't seem to matter much to them. But my Advanced Directive does have no feeding tubes, no ventilators, etc. My mom is my representative, and knows/accepts my wishes. Hopefully all goes well, I won't need to worry about it anyway.

You don't need a physician signature.

 

[Trainwreck]

You don't need a physician signature

You don't need a physician signature.

Unfortunately, my state requires a physician's signature on the DNR. A physician's signature on the Advanced Directive was optional though. I guess I could put the DNR next me and hope they don't look too closely at it (the paper is orange, so you can't miss it). It's all filled out otherwise.

 

[Sweet emotion]

If you have an advanced Health directive will it still be followed in a suicide situation say you are found and they tried to resuscitate you or take you to the hospital and try to put a breathing tube in you or will they have to follow the advanced health directive if I have one that states that I don't want any of those things

You have to get a DNR from your primary doctor. You can print the form out on the computer. But they have to sign it. I want to do this with my doctor but I'm afraid he's going to think this girl is planning on killing herself. I was talking to a nurse here and she said that sometimes it doesn't even matter if you have a DNR, the paramedics or people at the hospital will still try to bring you back. I think that is so damn wrong. When someone wants to die no one and I mean no one should get in the way of their plans just because they think you can get better. I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome which is the highest ranking pain condition in medical history. There are no treatments that have helped me and there is no cure. It's only been around since the beginning of time and doctors don't know about it. Apparently they don't teach it in medical school. So if I want to out myself out of my misery that I've been in for 14 long years since I was 20 years old, I think I have the right to do so and not be questioned. I'm not mentally ill. I just don't want to live the rest of my life in this viscious pain and loneliness. Dr. Kevorkian was a hero to me. He had such sympathy for people who were sick. These people didn't have to worry about pain or about it not working or about someone catching them in the act. All they had to do was pull a string. They do dying with death in some states but you have to have cancer of course and have six months or less to live. I'm so sick of people thinking cancer is the worst thing in the world. Of course it's not the best and no one wants it but with cancer you either get better or die and are out out of your misery. You fight to live with cancer. With my disease you just die every day. You feel like you're being physically tortured every day. You want to die. There's no hope like there is with cancer. It really pisses me off when I tell people what I have and they look at me like I have three heads. If I told them I had cancer I know I'd get a response. Sometimes I think. Lying to people is easier. But I won't. My disease is just as if not more important than cancer. And no one has the right to tell me to live the rest of my life like this. They don't have to feel the non stop pain. They don't have to feel the isolation.

 

[gingerplum]

Unfortunately, my state requires a physician's signature on the DNR. A physician's signature on the Advanced Directive was optional though. I guess I could put the DNR next me and hope they don't look too closely at it (the paper is orange, so you can't miss it). It's all filled out otherwise.

Are you sure? I ask because this definitely hasn't been my experience in a hospital-based system, and when I looked it up, many states are deliberately ~excluding~ healthcare providers as signed witnesses.

Finalization Requirements for Health Care Directives

After you complete your health care directive, you must follow your state’s rules for witnesses and notaries to make it legally valid and binding.

www.nolo.com

You have to get a DNR from your primary doctor. You can print the form out on the computer. But they have to sign it. I want to do this with my doctor but I'm afraid he's going to think this girl is planning on killing herself. I was talking to a nurse here and she said that sometimes it doesn't even matter if you have a DNR, the paramedics or people at the hospital will still try to bring you back. I think that is so damn wrong. When someone wants to die no one and I mean no one should get in the way of their plans just because they think you can get better. I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome which is the highest ranking pain condition in medical history. There are no treatments that have helped me and there is no cure. It's only been around since the beginning of time and doctors don't know about it. Apparently they don't teach it in medical school. So if I want to out myself out of my misery that I've been in for 14 long years since I was 20 years old, I think I have the right to do so and not be questioned. I'm not mentally ill. I just don't want to live the rest of my life in this viscious pain and loneliness. Dr. Kevorkian was a hero to me. He had such sympathy for people who were sick. These people didn't have to worry about pain or about it not working or about someone catching them in the act. All they had to do was pull a string. They do dying with death in some states but you have to have cancer of course and have six months or less to live. I'm so sick of people thinking cancer is the worst thing in the world. Of course it's not the best and no one wants it but with cancer you either get better or die and are out out of your misery. You fight to live with cancer. With my disease you just die every day. You feel like you're being physically tortured every day. You want to die. There's no hope like there is with cancer. It really pisses me off when I tell people what I have and they look at me like I have three heads. If I told them I had cancer I know I'd get a response. Sometimes I think. Lying to people is easier. But I won't. My disease is just as if not more important than cancer. And no one has the right to tell me to live the rest of my life like this. They don't have to feel the non stop pain. They don't have to feel the isolation.

Can you link me to some info on physician signature requirement, Sweet? I'm second-guessing myself on this, and I want to be sure.

 

[Stan]

Whats the reality of this? Basically a first responder in any country is going to attempt to save your life. You could even have a court order approved by the Supreme Court stapled to your forehead and they wont really understand what it means so they will ignore it. They will only look for things such as a medical alert bracelet to see if you have a known condition.

Best advice is to plan your method properly, and that includes not being found in time