Do not resuscitate - Do they ask this when a patient is end of life care?
My dad has heart failure. He recently just returned home after having fluid removed. My dad has put no to DNR but I'm not sure if he fully understands it. It felt like the doctor wanted us to say no.
I discussed it with my sister and she said this question is asked only if a patient is getting to end of life. Is this true?
Hey, great question. This is something that from my experience they always ask. They always ask if you have an advanced directive or MOLST which stands for Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. I hope this helped. -Olivia Thanks for the reply. It does help. My sister has been stressing over it and she thinks they asked it because of things heading in another direction. But I told her it's a general question probably so they know where they stand.
I'm wondering what most heart failure patients choose, is choosing dnr good?. We all thought that the quality of life and pressure on the body would be too much so decided to say no to DNR.
Thanks for following up and providing further information. Choosing a code status is very personal and can vary from person to person. Many factors can contribute into a decision such as age, progression of disease, and co-morbidites. There are other social factors that may also play a role in choosing a code status such as potential burden on family or personal experience of watching a loved one suffer. I hope this is helpful to you and your family. All the best, Lauren (Team member)
Thank you for the advice. Sorry, I think I accidentally pressed report on your reply, it was my clumsy hand. But i feel like heart failure definitely is unpredictable and so many factors to consider.
Thank you for your information Thank you for the information, it was definitely helpful. It is reassuring that he will still get treated. At the moment he is at home now, no breathing issues since he got discharged from the hospital. I just hate the anticipation of the fluid building up again in a few months time.
He still hasn't walked outside the house yet yet so Im hoping he can go back to normal walking even short distances.
Thank you for the update
Glad to hear that you found my brief response to your concern helpful. And glad to hear that your dad is home and is breathing easy. The fear of fluid buildup must add an extra layer of stress. Take it one step at a time, and hopefully he'll regain the strength to walk outside again soon. How are you holding up through all of this? John. community moderator It is nice to share experiences with others who are going through a similar thing.
My dad is doing fine at the moment according to the heart failure team who visit him at home.
One scary thing happened. My mum, sister and myself were all at work. The night before, my dad took sleeping tablets to help him sleep. The next day after work around 7pm my mum home and saw my dad sitting in the sofa in the dark. Only the kitchen light was on. He had dried blood on his nose, shirt, bruises on his arm and forehead. That day a physio was supposed to do a home visit but I think he missed it. My mum also said my dad's lunch had been untouched, so he hadn't eaten lunch.
My dad said he can't remember what happened. And that he felt tired and was waiting for one of us to come home to help him get off the sofa and to bed.
We think he had a fall or because it was of the aftermath of the sleeping tablet?. I would say I don't think my dad is opening the blister packet of medicines prescribed by the pharmacy properly. He doesn't have good vision, so sometimes I see tablets on the floor, see him get difficulty puncturing the blister packet. He also finds it hard to operate mobile phones/smart phones more now. Over time, I'm noticing he is needing help with little things. I also think he has a fear of walking outside alone now and he also mentioned when we are at work, he gets lonely and feels scared. It is also hard to monitor his fluid intake because when we are away at work, he forgets or thinks he is within his 1.5 litre fluid intake but I think he is having more then that.I hear you. It is very nice sharing personal experiences. That way we can learn from each other, and also not feel like we are in this alone -- as we are not. Sorry that you and your family are having to watch your dad go through all of this. It sounds like a challenging situation, and I can imagine it's taking a toll on both your dad and your family. I remember when my grandma was in a similar situation we had someone stay with her at all times. It was a lot of work, although it did give us some reassurance that she was always in good care. Is this something that you and your family have considered? John. community moderator.
It is definitely helpful. Since my dad is a heart failure patient, I've always wanted to find a message board or community to share those experiences. Now I understand more what my dad and other people are going through, especially when I read similar incidents and the experience of families looking after a heart failure patient.
That was very nice that your grandma was taken care of. Did a relative or carer look after her?.
We have been thinking about the future and he will definitely need that support when the time comes. It is difficult when the heart failure situation worsens and my sister does think the worst every time a incident happens.
Today my dad got the COVID vaccine, he got the bus then went to the shop to get juice, and yoghurt. He hasn't been out much at all but he said that it took a while for him to walk. He had to stop and catch his breath but it felt good that he tried, I like to see him get some independence. I remember a time when I was a child, he was walking really fast and I was trying to catch up with him and now it feels strange that it's the other way around.
Next Saturday, I will be going with him for a Echo scan which will give a update on his heart condition. I feel like with heart failure you don't know what to expect, so trying to take each day as it comes.Thank you. He also has diabetes but over time, I think he is getting frustrated with not being able to do what he used to do. He said he is satisfied enough to just get the energy for a local walk to the shops which is 7 mins away. I think he is also getting tired of the constant cocktail of medication describing it as a 'mini pharmacy' and keeping up to date with all the medical appointments he has. But I know the main appointments are very important.
As a family we are there to support him but it can be hard not knowing what can happen when making future plans. As I feel heart failure is unpredictable. But trying to keep positive.
Your so welcome. I understand Him very well. Before my transplant that was my every day life,, still is in areas. Having support really helps.
Kimberly Heart-Failure.net Team
