Pronouncement of Death
Says what staff do if a client dies during a visit: call 911 and the office, stay with the client, and leave the pronouncement of death to the people the law allows.
About this policy
- Policy number
- TX-CL-06
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 26 TAC §558.302
- Library
- Texas home care · 46 policies
- Category
- Clinical tasks
- Sections
- 17
In short
- If a client is not breathing or will not wake up, call 911 right away, even if the death was expected.
- Tell the 911 dispatcher if the client has a do-not-resuscitate order and where it is kept. Follow their instructions.
- Stay with the client until help arrives. Do not move the client, clean up, or take anything away.
- Call the office at (512) 555-0100 as soon as you can, and write down what happened that same day.
- Do not say the client has died or sign any papers about the death. Leave that to the responders.
What's inside
17 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (26 TAC §558.302)
- 5. Procedure: What Staff Do If a Client Appears to Have Died
- 6. Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders
- 7. What the Office Does Next
- 8. Requests Outside the Agency’s Scope
- 9. Alternative Procedure: If Agency Registered Nurses Pronounce Death
- 10. Staff Training
- 11. Responsibilities
- 12. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 13. References
- 14. Related Policies and Forms
- 15. Approval
- 16. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- Does any nurse employed by or contracted with the Agency pronounce death? If so, show me the written policy and that nurse’s authorization.
- What does an attendant do if a client is found unresponsive and not breathing at the start of a visit?
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