UNBELIEVABLE … 87 Year Old Elderly Woman Dies after Nurse Refuses to do CPR at Glenwood Gardens Retirement Facility in Bakersfield, CA (911 Call Audio)

Families may want to keep the name of the Glenwood Gardens retirement facility in Bakersfield, CA as a place to question to use to send their elderly family members.

A nurse at the Glenwood Gardens retirement facility in Bakersfield, CA refused to perform CPR on an elderly patient who  later died. After the 87 year old female resident,  , Lorraine Bayless, collapsed at the facility, 911 was called but the nurse refused to give the elderly resident CPR. Even after the 911 dispatcher’s asked that the nurse perform CPR, the nurse can be heard telling the dispatcher that it was against the retirement facility’s policy to perform CPR. HUH? An ambulance arrived several minutes after the 911 call and took the woman to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Unless the individual had a DNR, who actually thinks its a rational policy to not save an individual who is in critical distress and to wait for help that will most likely come too late? Kind of makes one wonder what these people will and will not do to help a dying person. Whether they were a skilled or not a skilled facility, how could some one in the health care profession actually let an individual die and not lift a finger? Obamacare would be proud, talk about your death panels.

 An elderly woman being cared for at a Bakersfield retirement facility died after a nurse at the facility refused to perform CPR on the woman after she collapsed, authorities said.

When the 87-year-old resident of Glenwood Gardens collapsed at the facility around 11 a.m. Tuesday, a staff member called 911 but refused to give the woman CPR, Bakersfield television station ABC23 (http://bit.ly/YQULm3 ) reported Friday.

In refusing the 911 dispatcher’s insistence that she perform CPR, the nurse can be heard telling the dispatcher that it was against the retirement facility’s policy to perform CPR.

During the exchange between the nurse and the dispatcher, the dispatcher can be heard saying “I don’t understand why you’re not willing to help this patient.”

UPDATE I: The retirement facility released a statement :

First and foremost, we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to this individual’s family on the passing of their loved one.  We also appreciate the assistance of emergency personnel who arrived immediately to assist in rendering first aid.  In the event of a health emergency at this independent living community our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance and to wait with the individual needing attention until such personnel arrives. That is the protocol we followed.  As with any incident involving a resident, we will conduct a thorough internal review of this matter, but we have no further comments at this time.

UPDATE II: Here the 911 audio tape HERE. Also, it has been confirmed that the woman did not have a DNR, but even more shocking, the deceased woman’s daughter said that she was satisfied with her mothers care at the facility. Really, some thing smells a bit fishy here.

KGET confirmed the Bayless did not have a do-not-resuscitate order. Nevertheless, her daughter — who is a nurse herself — told the station she was satisfied with her mother’s care at the facility.