This information is approved and/or reviewed by U-M Health System providers but it is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical treatment. You should speak to your physician or make an appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about this information or your medical condition.
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Do Not Resuscitate Order - What is it?

As a competent adult, you have the right to decide to accept or refuse any medical treatment. Yet some day, you may become too sick to make your own decisions about your medical care. If that happens, then decisions will have to be made for you unless you have an advance directive. An advance directive is a document signed by a competent person giving direction to health care providers about treatment choices in certain circumstances.

A new Michigan law allows competent adults to complete a form that states you do not wish to be resuscitated if your breathing and heart stop while you are in a home setting.

What is the purpose of this form?
This law supplements documents and policies used in hospitals, nursing homes and hospices. (For information on advance directives used in these settings, please called the U-M Patient Relations Office (734-936-4330), your state representative, the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan State Medical Society or a senior citizen group.)

In some cases, people who are terminally ill choose to live out the remainder of their lives at home. When a person dies, a family member often calls an ambulance service, and emergency personnel are required by law to attempt resuscitation. This law allows individuals to avoid unnecessary resuscitation attempts.

Where should I keep the form?
The law requires the individual signing the Do Not Resuscitate Order to keep the document accessible and in his or her possession. As an alternative, a person may wear a bracelet alerting emergency personnel to the Do Not Resuscitate Order.

Who must sign the form?
A competent adult or the legally appointed advocate of an incompetent adult must sign the form. In either case, the person must be 18 years of age or older and be of sound mind. The document also must be signed by the individual's attending physician and two witnesses. If you have religious or other objections to care by a physician you can create a document that does not require a physician's signature. By law, your family, physicians and employees of your health care facility are not allowed to be witnesses for this form.

If you choose to wear a med alert bracelet, the bracelet must include your name and address, and the name and telephone number of your attending physician.

What if I am unable to sign this form?
If you are an incompetent adult and have an advocate, your advocate may execute a Do Not Resuscitate Order on your behalf. You must have, in an advance directive, authorized your patient advocate to refuse treatment that could allow you to die.

Can I change my mind once I sign the form?
Yes. You can change the document at any time while you are competent.

What else should I do to ensure my wishes are carried out?
Make your wishes known by talking with your family, friends or doctor, and alert them to the Do Not Resuscitate Order you have signed - and where they can find it.

Where can I find a copy of the Do Not Resuscitate Order form or med alert bracelet? What are the costs?
For a copy of the form, which is free, click here. A med alert bracelet can be ordered from any pharmacy.