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If the patient, with severe dementia is taken by ambulance from MC to ER, how is the DNR order handled? If the hospital needs the original gold paper order, who transports it there? I had an incident last night and realized that the DNR stays in the facility. Does anyone know how that works? This was a fall and no cardiac issue was involved, but, it could have been.

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Sunnygirl, when my Dad was living in Assisted Living/Memory Care, the nurse at the facility would print out what is needed from Dad's file and give the papers to the EMT's who in turn would give the papers to the hospital.

The hospital was one that our whole family uses, thus everything has been scanned into their computer system. So any time one of us goes in, all the paperwork, including DNR, Power of Attorney, and HIPAA are already there. We have the ACA [Obamacare] to thank for this state-of-the-art system that is required in all hospitals and doctors offices.
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My thoughts is yes, it would. When my father went to the hospital they asked me to bring a copy of the advance directives to the hospital. Someone at the NH would have had to provide a copy or someone would have to bring a copy to the hospital. I suppose the procedure would be the same regardless of where she was staying before being brought to the ER. It would be handy if the ambulance attendant also saw the DNR before transporting a patient.
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I appreciate your responses and that's what I thought. We had to go to another hospital in an adjoining county last night and they didn't have any of her records. (Other one was full.) And the ambulance attendants didn't bring any papers with her. I asked the attending nurse and she told me that they have to have an ORIGINAL DNR ORDER in hand. I know that when my LO has gone to the closer hospital by ambulance, they don't take the DNR order there either, but, they have told me they have it on file.  So, I will confirm that they will honor it. 

Oh well, I guess, I'll have to get some copies, scan and try to get it to all hospitals that she may end up at . And chat with the MC director about their policy.

Thanks.
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My mom had to be transported from MC to hospital by ambulance just a few days ago. The asst director of MC sent me and ambulance personnel with a copy of the DNR. She kept the original.
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Bumping my question up for any ideas on this.
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Sunnygirl, hopefully the two hospitals will communicate with each other regarding the patient.

How is your cousin doing?
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