Attempted Suicides in the Elderly With Existing DNRs: An Emerging Geriatric Ethical Dilemma

Abstract

Several critical clinical and ethical issues, including immediate treatment decisions, emerged in a case of a double suicide attempt by an elderly couple with a suicide pact and existing do-not-resuscitate (DNR) documentation. This case was complicated by the advanced age of both patients and their family’s expectations and perception of mental illness in the geriatric population. In addition to the myriad of legal and ethical challenges that frequent the end-of-life care, the emerging trend of suicide pacts among the elderly, particularly with existing DNR documentation, warrants further exploration.