This is especially difficult to establish for nursing facility residents who often become unable to make decisions and for their families who may not know what the resident would wish for treatment. Even when treatment decisions are known, physicians often overtreat residents. Previous studies of facility residents indicated that residents desired CPR in the event of heart failure but did not want artificial nutrition. This study was designed to measure treatment preferences in nondemented, nondepressed residents in urban and suburban facilities. Residents were surveyed over a six-month period to see if their treatment preferences remained constant.
Results indicate that the preferences for treatment remained stable over the study period.
Residents were able to draw a clear distinction between treatments that were time-limited and those of an indefinite nature. Preferences were toward less intervention. Residents desired IV antibiotics when needed and limited mechanical ventilation. It is important to follow-up initial assessments of treatment preferences with further discussions with residents. As time progressed during the study period, residents tended to show a preference for even less intervention than initially expressed.