Abstract 296: Views on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Among Older Australians in Care
Background: Our objective was to measure the views of older Australians on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Methods and Results: A brief explanation of CPR and a three question survey were sent to 187 Australian residential care facilities and 34 home care providers in April 2014. A total of 2213 respondents completed the survey, including 1943 residents from 163 residential care facilities, and 275 receiving care in the home from 24 providers (71% and 49% response rate, respectively). Respondents were mostly female (67.4%), and those in residential care were more likely to be aged over 75 years than those receiving care in the home (82.6% versus 70.4%). The majority of respondents indicated they understood what CPR is and what it means for them (Table). Over half indicated they would want CPR if required (55.1% for residents and 65.3% for those receiving home care), this was higher among younger residents (64.2% in ≤ 75 years and 53.2% in>75 years) but similar by sex. A large proportion believed they would fully recover after receiving CPR (44.1% of residential care and 58.1% of home care residents). Of those who agreed there was a good chance they would fully recover, almost all stated they would like to receive CPR if they had an arrest (94.8% of residential care and 91.4% of home care residents). Conversely, of those that disagreed, 98.6% of residential and 96.2% of home care respondents were unsure about or disagreed to receiving CPR. Conclusions: The desire for CPR in this population appears to be related to their perception as to whether or not they will fully recover. Outcomes for older people who have an arrest are typically poor. Despite this, a large proportion of respondents believed they would recover to their previous health state if they were to receive CPR. These findings highlight the need for more accurate information to inform discussions about end-of-life decisions.