Do I need a DNR?
A DNR — Do Not Resuscitate order — is a document that's needed on a case-by-case basis. It is a prehospital medical directive, and in Arizona it has very specific requirements. The DNR must be on orange paper, must include your photo, and must be signed by your doctor — because what you're telling first responders is that you do not want to be resuscitated before you reach the hospital.
Two Different Documents
DNR vs. living will — they aren't the same thing.
A lot of people confuse the DNR with a living will, but they serve different purposes. A living will is your end-of-life care instructions: it tells your medical team what you want if you are approaching death, either in a terminal condition or a vegetative state — for example, that you do not want to be kept alive on a ventilator or feeding tube indefinitely. The living will speaks to long-term, hospital-level decisions.
A DNR is much narrower. It only governs whether first responders should attempt resuscitation in an out-of-hospital emergency. The DNR is the right tool when a patient — often someone with a serious illness — wants to make sure paramedics do not perform CPR if they collapse at home. The living will is the right tool for everyone else who wants to define their end-of-life care wishes in advance.
Choosing What's Right
When the DNR is the right call — and when it isn't.
Most healthy adults do not need a DNR. What they do need is a complete estate plan that includes a living will and a healthcare power of attorney, so their wishes are clear and someone they trust can speak for them. A DNR is generally added later, in consultation with a doctor, when a patient is facing serious illness and wants to be specific about prehospital care.
If you're not sure which document fits your situation, that's exactly the kind of conversation Nicole has with clients during a planning session. The goal is to give you the right documents for where you are in life — not a one-size-fits-all stack of paperwork.
Ready when you are
Get the right end-of-life documents in place.
Schedule a flat-fee estate planning session to talk through whether you need a living will, a DNR, or both — and put your wishes clearly on paper.