I don’t know if you’re even aware it’s really common practice in the U.S. today if you call 911 for a sick elderly patient the paramedics will ask if the elderly patient has DNR or advanced medical directive. If the elderly patient has DNR he/she will be taken to the emergency and will be put to death, not in the ER but he/she will never come home. If terminally ill elderly patient with DNR is admitted in the nursing home there is so called comfort solution ready to end his/her life. It’s common practice. There are so many Jack Kevorkian out there today but they keep their mouth shut.
I understand the part from what you mean by legal documentation. Jack acted without one, and that is what made his actions a crime. But yes, I did get the surprise when I found out one day that I had actually gotten the advanced healthcare directive out for myself but my own physician hadn’t. People should know about it early on, set their terms, and whenever that Terri Schiavo event should happen, the terms are set and that situation is hopefully avoided.