Nurse Refuses To Give CPR To Elderly Woman

A 911-dispatcher in California was surprised to learn that a local senior living facility would not perform CPR on resident, Lorraine Bayless, after she had collapsed. The dispatcher was so surprised that she basically begged for any worker of the facility to perform CPR on Bayless. Unfortunately for Ms. Bayless, it was against that facility's policy to perform CPR on residents of the facility. According to ABC News, "[w]ith every passing second, Bayless' chances of survival were diminishing." By the time Bayless had arrived at the hospital, a good amount of time had passed. She died at the hospital. The facility, Glenwood Gardens, released a statement claiming that this was their policy and that it appeared that their staff followed their protocol. The nursing home stated that it will still launch an investigation into the matter.

See Alyssa Newcomb, Elderly Woman Dies After Nurse Refuses To Give Her CPR, ABC News, Mar. 3, 2013.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Attorney at law, Florida Probate Attorney Wills and Estates Law Firm) for bringing this to my attention.