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Death in the Home and Pronouncement of Death

States that Agency nurses and other staff do not pronounce death, because Georgia law allows registered nurses to pronounce only in the settings named in O.C.G.A. §31-10-16, and tells every staff member exactly what to do when a patient appears to have died: call 911 or follow the patient’s valid do-not-resuscitate plan, stay, call the office, and leave the scene undisturbed.

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About this policy
Policy number
GA-HH-CS-05
Version
1.0
Main rule
O.C.G.A. §31-10-16
Library
Georgia home health · 56 policies
Category
Clinical tasks
Sections
17

In short

  • No Agency staff member pronounces death.
  • If a patient is not breathing and has no DNR or POLST you can see, call 911 and start CPR if you are trained.
  • If you see a DNR or POLST, do not start CPR. Call the person named in the plan, or 911.
  • Stay with the patient, call the office, and do not move anything.
  • Do not tell the family the time of death. Leave that to responders or the physician.

What's inside

17 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.

Full text with a package
  • Terms of Reference
  • 1. Purpose
  • 2. Scope
  • 3. Definitions
  • 4. Policy Statement (O.C.G.A. §31-10-16)
  • 5. What Staff Do When a Patient Appears to Have Died
  • 6. DNR Orders, POLST, and Expected Deaths
  • 7. What the Office Does Next
  • 8. Requests Staff Decline
  • 9. Keeping This Decision Under Review
  • 10. Responsibilities
  • 11. Records and Compliance Monitoring
  • 12. Staff Training
  • 13. References
  • 14. Related Policies and Forms
  • 15. Approval
  • 16. Revision History

An inspector may ask

  • Who may pronounce death for your patients?
  • What does an aide do if she finds a patient not breathing?

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