It's a little uncomfortable to envision accountants and funeral directors attempting to influence families and medical ethicists as to why sooner is better.
It's a lot amusing to envision it, though, if you've ever been privy to the families' behavior when the loved one is dying. Most are far too grief stricken [and potentially guilt ridden] to accept that the time to let go has come. Grandpa, who is terminally ill, comatose, breathing via ventilator, fed via tube, [and has filed a Do Not Resuscitate order with the hospital], will be 'brought back' after a cardiac arrest, if the family [or just one especially aggressive member] screams bloody murder & threatens lawsuits when the moment comes.
We just don't want to let go - and we can't admit that it's 'time', because the guilt would be unbearable. Or maybe just the feeling that others think we're guilty of callous disregard - same end result. I've seen it firsthand, too many times: alarms go off, family member is hysterically screaming at the doctors & nurses to "Do something!" and here comes the crash cart to save the patient - for a few more days, at least. I've seen it happen three times with one patient - just crazy, but his daughter refused to accept the inevitable.
Yet, I read somewhere that many American families burn through hundreds of thousands of dollars at granpa's end-of-life struggle to buy a little more time. Each family will choose for themselves.
