King County: (206) 528-5315 | 
Welcome to Full Life Care
Welcome to Full Life Care – formerly ElderHealth Northwest.
Click here for more information about our 2011 name change.
Full Life helps adults of all ages with chronic illnesses, physical or developmental disabilities. We are a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving people’s lives and supporting caregivers. Since the 1970s, we have helped thousands of individuals preserve their dignity and avoid living in a nursing home or in isolation.
Awards and national recognition shine light on our array of services: adult day health, memory care homes, care consultation, mental health, in-home care and volunteer companionship.
Read more about us.
Nora's Corner
by Nora Gibson, Executive Director
The Way Out
An 87-year-old woman recently passed away of an apparent heart attack (later recorded as a massive stroke) in a retirement community in California, stirring up tremendous controversy. Someone from the facility called 911, and when the dispatcher asked a nurse to initiate CPR, she refused, saying the policy of the building was to not initiate CPR and to wait for the first responders.
On the 911 recording, the dispatcher begs the nurse to find someone, anyone, who would be willing to initiate CPR. The elderly resident was transported to the hospital were she was declared dead.
Not surprisingly, her loved ones supported the facility and stated they were aware of the policy and it was in accordance with their mother’s wishes and expectations.
Seattle is famous for the number of people who are trained and capable of administering CPR. I personally know of two people who dropped over when their hearts stopped. Both were in their 50s and playing basketball at the time. Both were revived through the use of CPR and portable defibrillators.
But CPR outcomes for the frail elderly are often poor. Decades ago, a 90-year-old woman participating in one of our day programs had a heart attack in the dining room. . . .
