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 MOST Form says not to resuscitate, reporting every death at home to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and leaving the body undisturbed until it decides, pronouncement of an expected death by the registered nurse under D.C. Code §7-231.12(r), notifying the physician, family and funeral home, the death certificate duties District law gives to the funeral director, the physician and the medical examiner, care of the body, medications and equipment, documentation, discharge, the Agency's own incident and adverse event reporting, and support for the family.
- Policy number
- DC-HH-CS-06
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- D.C. Code §5-1406
- Library
- Washington, DC home health · 58 policies
- Category
- Clinical tasks
- Sections
- 36
In short
- If a patient is not breathing and there is no valid MOST Form saying not to resuscitate, call 911 and start CPR if you are certified. If you are not sure the MOST Form is still valid, act as if there is none.
- If there is a valid MOST Form saying not to resuscitate, do not start CPR. Stay with the family and call the nurse at (202) 555-0199.
- After a fall, injury, overdose, violence, or anything unusual, call 911 at once. Do not move the body or touch anything near it.
- Every death at home is reported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Only a registered nurse may pronounce death, and only in an expected death.
- Never call a funeral home, fill in a death record, or take, move, or throw away a patient's medicines.
- Write down the times, what you saw, and everyone you called, the same day.
What's inside
36 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (D.C. Code §5-1406; §7-231.12(r); §21-2221.07)
- 5. Planning Ahead for an Expected Death
- 6. When Staff Find a Patient Who May Have Died
- 6.1 No Valid MOST Form Order Not to Resuscitate
- 6.2 Valid MOST Form Order Not to Resuscitate
- 6.3 What Staff Other Than a Registered Nurse Never Do
- 7. Reporting the Death to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
- 7.1 Making the Report
- 7.2 Leaving the Scene Undisturbed
- 7.3 Possible Abuse or Neglect
- 8. Pronouncement of Death by the Registered Nurse
- 9. Notifying the Physician, the Family, and Others
- 10. Death Certificates: What District 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 the OCME Has Declined
- 11.2 When the OCME Takes the Case or Has Not Yet Decided
- 11.3 Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donation
- 11.4 Infection Prevention
- 12. Medications, Equipment, and Supplies
- 13. Documentation
- 14. Discharge After a Death
- 15. The Agency's Own Reporting After a Death
- 16. Support for the Family and for Staff
- 17. Review of Deaths
- 18. Responsibilities
- 19. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 20. Staff Training
- 21. References
- 22. Related Policies and Forms
- 23. Approval
- 24. 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 MOST Form, and what do they do if they are not sure it is still in effect?
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