However, if no unnecessary sedatives or narcotics had been given, the patient would in many cases have remained fully alert and lived much longer. Yes, it is true that some patients are anxious or agitated. In those cases, a sedative is totally appropriate. And in some cases of pain, a sedative helps synergistically to act together with the pain medications to reduce pain. Hospice is supposed to be about compassionate care for the dying, not killing them.
Hospices have incredibly strong ties to the local community.
However, these strong ties include political, economical and personal motivations for those in the community. Local newspapers get advertising money from the local hospices. When a physician messes up, many other physicians keep quiet. When a physician makes a decision to testify against other doctors, it can be like throwing away his or her career. It's basically a matter of loyalty to the local physician community group or guild, over adherence to the law or loyalty to the public's welfare or rights as patients.