WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.040 Hi, this is Clayton Vandiver, your Lightkeeper, 00:00:02.220 --> 00:00:04.480 and this summer we have a very special treat 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:07.099 for you. It's called Lightkeepers Podcast Shorts. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:10.759 It's not a new clothing line, but that's a pretty 00:00:10.759 --> 00:00:14.019 good idea. Actually, it's just shorter episodes, 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:18.300 under 10 minutes long, of our most popular episodes 00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:20.839 that we keep getting requests to play again. 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.859 So here's part two of the Lightkeepers Podcast 00:00:24.859 --> 00:00:29.519 Shorts. Hello and welcome to the Light Keepers 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:32.479 podcast. I'm Clayton Vandiver, your Light Keeper, 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:35.520 with a show dedicated to everyone who wants to 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.520 get the most out of life that they can. We don't 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:42.740 talk about the end of life. We focus on the quality 00:00:42.740 --> 00:00:46.479 of life. My co -host on this episode, Charlene, 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:49.479 a licensed clinical social worker, she'll be 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:52.780 helping us answer this week's question, to be 00:00:52.780 --> 00:00:58.969 or not to be. The question of DNR and what that 00:00:58.969 --> 00:01:02.369 means to you and the medical community and so 00:01:02.369 --> 00:01:06.409 much more on this edition of the Light Keepers 00:01:06.409 --> 00:01:36.090 podcast. Before we start, I'd like to invite 00:01:36.090 --> 00:01:38.390 you to please leave your questions or comments 00:01:38.390 --> 00:01:41.890 below. We love to hear from you. So being resuscitated 00:01:41.890 --> 00:01:44.609 can sometimes do more harm than good. That's 00:01:44.609 --> 00:01:48.030 important to know. Most people don't know how 00:01:48.030 --> 00:01:53.810 violent. I had no idea that it was really that 00:01:53.810 --> 00:01:57.209 traumatic a procedure. It can be. Well, once 00:01:57.209 --> 00:01:58.969 you decide that it's right for you, how do you 00:01:58.969 --> 00:02:01.750 let the medical community know that you don't 00:02:01.750 --> 00:02:04.879 want resuscitation? So there's a couple of different 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:07.680 important things that need to take place here. 00:02:07.980 --> 00:02:11.699 First and foremost, a person needs to have that 00:02:11.699 --> 00:02:14.000 discussion with their family because guess what? 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:19.159 Once someone is unconscious, your family or your 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:21.120 medical decision maker, they're going to be the 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:23.580 ones calling the shots for you anyway. Sure. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:25.300 So you're going to want to make sure that they're 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:28.360 on board with your wishes. First place to start 00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:30.639 is having that discussion with your family. The 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:32.560 next place to start is going to be to have that 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:34.960 discussion with your doctor because they're going 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.419 to be the one signing off on it anyway. It is 00:02:37.419 --> 00:02:40.379 a medical order. It does require physician signature. 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:43.400 And so you're going to need to have that conversation. 00:02:43.620 --> 00:02:46.379 But the important thing is if you go into the 00:02:46.379 --> 00:02:49.439 hospital for any procedures, if you're hospitalized, 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:52.419 anything like that, the first thing that you 00:02:52.419 --> 00:02:56.629 want to make sure is that, one, your do not resuscitate 00:02:56.629 --> 00:03:00.490 order is in your chart and two your medical team 00:03:00.490 --> 00:03:06.009 knows that it's there ah so what about in an 00:03:06.009 --> 00:03:08.849 accident situation where the emergency responders 00:03:08.849 --> 00:03:12.069 or paramedics are not going to know you have 00:03:12.069 --> 00:03:16.949 a dnr so that one can be a little trickier because 00:03:16.949 --> 00:03:22.409 in an accident A lot can happen. You know, you 00:03:22.409 --> 00:03:25.810 may have a do not resuscitate card in your wallet. 00:03:26.210 --> 00:03:29.069 Oh, okay. But in an emergency, say for example 00:03:29.069 --> 00:03:32.870 in a car accident, most of the time you're already 00:03:32.870 --> 00:03:34.930 on the stretcher in the ambulance on the way 00:03:34.930 --> 00:03:37.710 to the hospital before the state trooper riding 00:03:37.710 --> 00:03:40.150 up the accident actually bothers to look in your 00:03:40.150 --> 00:03:44.900 wallet. Oh, I see. If you have a do not resuscitate 00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:47.479 bracelet, there are medical alert bracelets that 00:03:47.479 --> 00:03:49.639 you can wear that indicate that you have a do 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:52.319 not resuscitate order. If you're in a bad enough 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:54.520 car accident, that bracelet might not have stayed 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:58.340 on. They might not take the time to look at it 00:03:58.340 --> 00:04:01.050 because... imminently it's more important to 00:04:01.050 --> 00:04:02.770 try to save your life that's what they're out 00:04:02.770 --> 00:04:05.930 there when in the field in an emergency their 00:04:05.930 --> 00:04:08.689 first response is always first and foremost going 00:04:08.689 --> 00:04:12.969 to be to preserve life okay there is no guarantee 00:04:12.969 --> 00:04:17.149 oh i understand that you're not going to have 00:04:17.149 --> 00:04:20.949 resuscitation attempted if you are in an accident 00:04:20.949 --> 00:04:23.829 outside of your residence now if you are in your 00:04:23.829 --> 00:04:27.920 residence I always coach people to have their 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.759 resuscitate order, their do not resuscitate order, 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:34.060 prominently posted. Paramedics are trained to 00:04:34.060 --> 00:04:36.519 look like on the door of the refrigerator or 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:40.540 on the bedroom door or in some cases even taped 00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:44.199 to the foot of the bed. I see. Well, how often, 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:46.680 this all begs the really important question, 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:53.360 how often are DNRs inadvertently? perhaps, or 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:56.079 because it's their policy to just do what they 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:58.959 can right away, how often do they get violated 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:02.180 by medical personnel, who I'm sure aren't trying 00:05:02.180 --> 00:05:06.560 to do that, but I know it happens. So there are 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:11.139 no clear statistics on that. I can tell you that 00:05:11.139 --> 00:05:14.439 a wrongful resuscitation, as it's referred to, 00:05:14.579 --> 00:05:18.699 does happen often enough that it makes the news. 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:23.699 There are several news reports in the last decade 00:05:23.699 --> 00:05:26.860 of families that filed lawsuits because their 00:05:26.860 --> 00:05:30.560 loved one suffered after being resuscitated, 00:05:30.740 --> 00:05:37.220 wrongfully so. It is listed as a medical error, 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:39.800 and there was a very interesting study that was 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:43.519 published in 2017 that stated in the United States 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:46.680 medical error was the third leading cause of 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:51.420 death. So it's entirely possible that among those 00:05:51.420 --> 00:05:54.560 medical errors, there could be some wrongful 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:58.800 resuscitations that then later did pass. I understand. 00:05:59.259 --> 00:06:02.279 Well, it's a complicated issue. What do you think 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:06.000 would help the situation, ideally, for the people 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.100 that you counsel and for our listeners and our 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:12.519 viewers? Education. Education, communication. 00:06:13.870 --> 00:06:16.709 And making sure that your medical team is aware 00:06:16.709 --> 00:06:22.769 of your wishes and what you want. Sure. Well, 00:06:22.930 --> 00:06:26.009 and that is the whole point then. Communication 00:06:26.009 --> 00:06:30.379 is what makes all of our medical... concerns 00:06:30.379 --> 00:06:32.639 work a little bit better in the medical system 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:35.899 and we know a little bit more now about do not 00:06:35.899 --> 00:06:38.819 resuscitate your rights your medical personnel 00:06:38.819 --> 00:06:41.759 what they may need to be reminded of about your 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:44.439 wishes of course this is all a highly personal 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.839 choice and no conversation we have on the light 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:50.480 keepers podcast should ever take the place of 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:53.100 your own medical care team or other personal 00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:57.500 advisor who should always be consulted by you 00:06:57.500 --> 00:07:02.240 on your specific situational needs. And it's 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:04.560 always good to talk about quality of life and 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:08.420 events because every single one of us faces some 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:11.319 of these situations in our lives. Well, we hope 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:13.500 you found some information that was helpful to 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:15.860 you on this edition of the Light Keepers podcast. 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:18.319 Please leave your questions or comments below. 00:07:18.540 --> 00:07:21.800 We love to hear from you. For more information 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:24.339 on A Guiding Light, please visit the website 00:07:24.990 --> 00:07:28.670 at a guiding light .org or to make a tax deductible 00:07:28.670 --> 00:07:31.170 contribution and help those less fortunate find 00:07:31.170 --> 00:07:34.290 the information and resources they need please 00:07:34.290 --> 00:07:37.290 visit the donation page on the website where 00:07:37.290 --> 00:07:39.430 you will find tax information and the address 00:07:39.430 --> 00:07:43.470 to send a check or it's also on the screen right 00:07:43.470 --> 00:07:47.930 below me we're so grateful for your support and 00:07:47.930 --> 00:07:50.290 sincerely hope that you will join us in coming 00:07:50.290 --> 00:07:54.220 weeks We still have topics like organ donors 00:07:54.220 --> 00:07:57.300 and hospitals, funeral homes and your plans, 00:07:57.579 --> 00:08:00.720 the gap between medical jargon and medical care, 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:06.040 and legal jargon. Metabolized grief, ingesting 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:09.560 grief, normalizing loss, hospice. It's not just 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:13.339 for the last few days. or hours, medical plans 00:08:13.339 --> 00:08:15.759 and paperwork, and of course, your questions 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.100 and comments. We love to hear from you. Speaking 00:08:18.100 --> 00:08:21.180 of that, hit the like and subscribe buttons and 00:08:21.180 --> 00:08:24.600 turn on that notify bell so you catch every episode. 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:28.199 I'm Clayton Vandiver, the Light Keeper. We'll 00:08:28.199 --> 00:08:29.079 see you next time.