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There is no absolutely correct answer to this question. Each case, especially at the end of a very old patient's life, has to be decided by the family and/or the patient. My wife and I, now in our 80s, have signed certificates that reject what hospitals call "heroic measures." We hope our families, if they are called on to make the decision, will honor our wishes and not allow us to be hooked up to machines while we wait to die.

Despite all the emotion and tragedy involved with approaching death, we should all understand it is inevitable. Keeping an elderly person alive for another day, week or month or two on life support, at an enormous daily expense, is wrong. We've had our turn at life, and when it is time to check out, it should be allowed to happen as painlessly and peacefully as possible. Forcing loved ones to watch us die by inches is not only wrong, it is thoughtlessly cruel to all concerned.

Now, the question is more difficult when the family insists on taking on the mental anguish and expense of keeping a brain-damaged, unaware patient alive. We've had several examples of young men and women who suffered terrible injuries or strokes, and then faced years and decades of life in what is unkindly called a "vegetative" state. The decision to keep up life support caused battles within families, while the years and family fortunes slipped away.

In those cases, the patients had no choice in the matter, and it is perfectly understandable that some family members, for religious or other reasons, wanted to hold out hope endlessly. However, in most of those situations, the long bedside vigils and enormous medical bills were detrimental to their normal family life. This choice is wrong especially if they had young children who needed and deserved the long days that were spent at a dying relative's bedside.

As difficult as the painful decision can be, I believe that in all cases of patients, both young and old, who have no awareness of life, they should be allowed to die naturally. If those loved ones could talk, I'm sure they'd agree with me.

Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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