Death was horrific and sudden many centuries ago, but today, dying has turned into a medical experience, specifically how, when, and where death happens has changed greatly over time. Approximately two-thirds of deaths happen in a hospital or nursing home, and nearly a third of Americans who die after sixty-five years of age will have spent some time in an intensive-care unit in their final three months. More importantly, these deaths do not seem to be what people want, as most Americans prefer to die at home. Further, these Americans want to die free of pain, at peace, and surrounded by loved ones. Too often, doctors are administering drastic treatment in spite of the patient’s dying wishes. Changes in physician-assisted suicide, palliative care, and the way doctors talk about death can help create a broad shift in the way health care systems deal with illness and death. After all, a better death means a better life.
See How to Have a Better Death, Economist, April 29, 2017.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
