I am so very sorry for your loss.

Thank you for this brilliant article. This past year, since I've turned 60, the 2/3 marker of my life assuming I stay somewhat healthy, I've been thinking a lot about living and dying. About me. My husband. My brother. My mother. My mother is 85. She lives at home, alone, with in-home care. She and I had a complicated relationship while she still knew who I was. I don't believe she does anymore. Hospitals and institutions terrify my mother. When she's had to go to the ER for a health emergency, she has completely lost her shit and needed to be sedated. For that reason, even though she'd be safer in a good nursing home with onsite medical professionals and someone available for her 24/7, we opted to leave her at home for as long as possible. It is our hope that when she passes, it is gently, in her sleep and in her home.