The honesty and grace of the years of life are the real measure of how we die. My father was made comfortable and the endotracheal tube was removed. The resident who pronounced my dad's death lingered at the bedside. He raised his eyes to mine and shared that he knew how difficult it was to make the decision to remove life support, but that he respected it and admired my father for being a brave man. We see it so rarely, a good death.
Most American deaths occur in hospitals.
Yet we participate in a healthcare system where the brilliance of saving lives often overshadows the quiet art of fostering a dignified death. Our challenge is in creating compassionate care at the end of life, with just as much passion as we dedicate to adrenaline-pumping biomedical interventions. Not everyone benefits from acute, crisis-oriented care and technology, but everyone dies. Send this story to a friend Join a Discussion About this Topic Return to Healthcare Perspectives Summaries. The Best Practice Network, a project of Ideas for Health .