Robin Smith, former Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party and congressional candidate.The death of 87-year-old Lorraine Bayless, a resident of an independent living facility in California, grabbed our attention last week.
Bayless was at the center of a 911 call placed by an individual who identified herself as a “nurse” but later was noted to be serving in the capacity of a resident services director at Glenwood Gardens, a facility owned by Brookdale Senior Living of Brentwood, Tenn.
For just over seven minutes, the recorded call captured a desperate dispatcher pleading with one who identified herself as a nurse, one qualified to administer care, yet refused to engage in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and refused to allow any other individual present to do the same.
The call was initiated from a cell phone at the independent living center after Bayless collapsed in the facility’s dining room.
While independent living facilities are, indeed, not licensed to provide medical care, the only reason emergency care should have been denied this woman in need was a directive in writing, a “Do-Not-Resuscitate” order, prepared by the individual and/or the power of attorney acting on that individual’s behalf. This “DNR” did not exist.