Death of a Patient at Home and Pronouncement of Death
Tells staff what to do when a patient dies at home or is found dead: CPR and 911 unless a valid Florida Do Not Resuscitate Order is present, reporting any death that falls under s. 406.11, F.S. to the medical examiner or law enforcement forthwith and leaving the scene undisturbed, the registered nurse's determination of death in an expected death, notifying the practitioner, family and funeral home, the death certificate duties Florida gives to others, care of the body, medications and equipment, documentation, discharge, and support for the family.
- Policy number
- FL-HH-CS-04
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- s. 406.12, F.S.
- Library
- Florida home health · 57 policies
- Category
- Clinical tasks
- Sections
- 35
In short
- If a patient is not breathing and there is no valid Florida DNRO, call 911 and start CPR if you are trained.
- If there is a valid DNRO, do not start CPR. Stay with the family and call the nurse at (813) 555-0199.
- A death after a fall, injury, overdose, violence, or anything unusual must be reported at once to 911 or the medical examiner. Do not move the body or touch anything near it.
- Only a registered nurse records that death has occurred. Never fill in a death certificate or let a funeral home take the body until the nurse says it is cleared.
- Never take, move, or throw away a patient's medicines after a death.
- Write down the times, what you saw, and everyone you called, the same day.
What's inside
35 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (s. 406.12, F.S.)
- 5. Planning Ahead for an Expected Death
- 6. When Staff Find a Patient Who May Have Died
- 6.1 No Valid DNRO
- 6.2 Valid DNRO Present
- 6.3 What Staff Other Than a Registered Nurse Never Do
- 7. Deciding Whether the Medical Examiner Must Be Told
- 7.1 Making the Report
- 7.2 Protecting the Scene
- 7.3 Possible Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation
- 8. Determination and Recording of Death by the Registered Nurse (Pronouncement)
- 9. Notifying the Practitioner, the Family, and Others
- 10. Death Certificates: What Florida Law Requires and the Agency's Role
- 10.1 What the Agency Does
- 11. Care of the Body and Respect for the Family's Wishes
- 11.1 After an Expected Death Not Reported to the Medical Examiner
- 11.2 In a Medical Examiner Case
- 11.3 Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donation
- 11.4 Infection Prevention
- 12. Medications, Equipment, and Supplies
- 13. Documentation
- 14. Discharge After a Death
- 15. Support for the Family and for Staff
- 16. Review of Deaths
- 17. Responsibilities
- 18. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 19. Staff Training
- 20. References
- 21. Related Policies and Forms
- 22. Approval
- 23. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- What does an aide do if she arrives and finds a patient who is not breathing?
- How do your staff know whether a patient has a valid DNRO, and what do they look for on it?
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