Mum, she was to weak to use it. They had to use a catheter. Peter talked about the resuscitation issue. Peter says he has been fighting for 15 years to have a DNAR apply to paramedics as it does for a doctor or nurse. People call 911 because they panic when the patient is choking and needs the airway cleared with a suction catheter.
Caregivers can order such a catheter and learn to do the suctioning themselves.
It is equally scary when a dying patient has a seizure because of anoxia. Sometimes the doctor will warn the family about the resuscitation protocol so they can avoid calling 911. The custodial child is the one with whom the parent lives and sits right under the spouse on the pyramid of decision-makers. As in the SA category, there exists a hierarchy within the family. Peter says that many doctors feel they should be the ones making the decisions.