[cfu28]

I know nothing about what happened in your fathers case, if it is exactly what you mentioned it sounds a little inappropriate but I’m wondering if something is lost in translation. You do mention he was admitted a few times to the hospital this year alone if I’m reading correctly, which is not normal and I am wondering if he is sicker than you are letting on in your comment.

Are these palliative care doctors and nurses engaging with the patient and your family? One thing they do is ask about code status (full code vs DNR/DNI) and clarify what the wishes of the patient are, help out with legacy planning, make sure everyone is aware of all the possible outcomes (not just death but reduction in QOL), and provide emotional support. Note that this job is not limited to a palliative team, but most patients and families don’t think about these things until it’s too late. CPR can have a pretty poor outcome in many elderly patients and can do more harm then good, so they may just want to make sure you have all the right information. It’s becoming the standard to engage in these talks sooner, not necessarily because they anticipate a poor recovery on this admission but you never know about the next one.

Just FYI and to tie this back to the original article, the physicians taking care of your father have no say in organ donation, it’s a conflict of interest for obvious reasons.