We should have a system -with lots of checks!- to be able to put them to sleep as we would a loved pet.

The problem is perverse incentives.

The organization that is paying the bills has a financial incentive to terminate the person who is causing the expense.

This is bad enough when it is family wanting to protect their inheritance from Granddad. It is worse then it is a company or a government healthcare system that has no emotional connection to the client.

It's a slippery slope, and has been seen many times.

And, y'know, people do it all the time with pets. You don't want to pay for cancer surgery for Fido, so you have a vet do the deed.


IMHO, the best way to handle it is unofficially. Like the "morphine to comfort" idea. Or as I discussed with my doctor, a bottle of sleeping pills and a fifth of scotch.

And don't forget to have a Living Will with "DNR" and "DNI" in big capital red letters.