Flagler County Board of County Commissioners Vice Chair Kim Carney used her first District 3 Town Hall on Tuesday, February 24, to debut a new initiative she hopes will spare other families the heartbreak she experienced when her mother passed away recently.
The program, called “File of Life,” is centered on helping residents properly prepare Do Not Resuscitate Orders and other critical medical documents so that their end-of-life wishes are honored when the time comes. The concept is similar to the Vial of Life program created in 1998 in California.
Carney’s motivation is deeply personal. Her mother, a former nurse, had made it clear she did not want to be resuscitated. Carney worked to ensure all the necessary paperwork was in order, but when the moment arrived, she discovered the advanced planning had fallen short.
“Death with dignity is what she wanted. She worked as a nurse…” Carney said, letting her thoughts drift. “I thought I had all the paperwork done. There was one thing that needed to be done that would have bridged the gap.”
The key document at the center of the initiative is the Florida DNR yellow form, known as DH Form 1896. It is the legally required document for a Do Not Resuscitate Order and instructs medical staff not to perform CPR if a patient’s heart or breathing stops. The form must be printed on yellow paper to be valid, as this is how emergency responders recognize and honor it. Without the proper yellow form, first responders are required to preserve life. The form requires a physician’s signature and differs from a Living Will in that it specifically directs emergency personnel to withhold CPR in certain situations.
Through a personal donation, Carney is funding kits being distributed by Flagler County Fire Rescue Community Paramedics. Each kit contains the yellow DNRO form, a 5-by-7-inch magnetic holder designed for the refrigerator to store the DNRO and other pertinent medical documents, and a 3-by-3-inch sticker for a front door or window to alert first responders that the resident has a File of Life on the premises.
“Working on this project allows me to save her wishes,” Carney said. “This is not to encourage people one way or another. I just want people to know the information if it is something they want or need.”
Carney noted that pending legislation in Tallahassee, House Bill 369 and Senate Bill 312, could make the DNRO process easier in the future. “Until then we will have a process in place,” she said.
Residents interested in receiving a File of Life kit can contact the Flagler County Fire Rescue Community Paramedics by calling 386-313-4260 or emailing commparamed@flaglercounty.gov.
