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Mostly because no one wants to be the one to tell grandfather to put his affairs in order or that it's time to pull the plug on one's aunt.

That's probably true, but grandfather should understand the situation and do it without being told.

Art Buchwald said, I'm just not going to do kidney dialysis anymore. Let nature take its course.

That's the right thing to do. I'm not sure it's even compassionate, much less a wise use of resources, to prolong the life of someone who is on borrowed time as it is.

It is shocking to see elderly people lose the last few months of their lives to expensive, discretionary surgery. Somebody should find a way to shame docs who do things like double mastectomies on frail old ladies who can't possibly live long enough to die of breast cancer.

From 2001 -- How Much Money For One Year Of Life? http://www.forbes.com/2001/11/05/1105aspirin.html

You ask a good question, as does this older article. I am not in favor of spending an entire family's estate to keep 'alive' a truly brain-dead person. However,

--and I will not get into a knock-down, drag-out here with anyone on this, it's a matter of faith and conviction, not reason--I'll say here that I'm convinced Terri Schiavo wanted to--and deserved--a longer life. I contend that either one believes 'thou shalt not kill' or they don't. I personally am convinced Terri was capable of living without all the paraphernelia. She never got the chance.

As regards cold reason, I will point out that, were TORT REFORM truly enacted and if certain powers that be lost their stranglehold on U.S. medical schools, we would have lower healthcare prices two ways: from more competition and from reduced malpractice suit hidden cost-shifting.

That's probably true, but grandfather should understand the situation and do it without being told.
Art Buchwald said, I'm just not going to do kidney dialysis anymore. Let nature take its course.

That's the right thing to do. I'm not sure it's even compassionate, much less a wise use of resources, to prolong the life of someone who is on borrowed time as it is.

Why don't we all give up right now. Look at the savings you could provide your family. How 'conservative' of you.

Any one of us could be in Art Buchwald's position and Art made the choice for himself, not because it was expected of him. What about eliminating organ transplants along with neonatal care of premature births? Afterall, those shopping for someone else's organ is near death facing expensive procedures.

Car accident, never mind EMS leave 'em on the pavement but don't forget to rescue those guys on the mountain or in the sailboat on rough seas.

I am so disgusted by this mindset on FreeRepublic. Maybe you should talk to your grandparents or parents and see how they feel about denying themselves medical procedures because someone says they are in an end-of-life circumstance because you think it is the right thing to do. What age would that be anyway?