My grandfather had a condition where the valve that separated his esophagus from his trachea was “mistiming” due to neurological problems. He also had “silent aspiration” which complicated things.
http://www.home-speech-home.com/dysphagia.html
In addition, he had a malfunctioning LES valve in the esophagus. What would happen is that food/water would back up and into his bronchial passage then into his lungs.
He essentially starved/dehydrated to death because the caregivers couldn’t feed him for fear that the food/water would go into his lungs. There was little the caregivers could do except make him comfortable.
A staunch Christian, he understood that his time was up and chose to go meet his Maker the best way he knew how. The caregivers did their level best to help him. That doesn’t make them minions of the devil...
Yes the issue of aspiration always comes forth. It is due to the neurological degeneration. The timing is not right to keep food or liquid out of the lungs. A body normally does this unconsciously, autonomically.
Usually this is near the end because of the associated pneumonia.
But there is no problem at all with eminent death at that time or organs shutting down.
A simple feeding tube in to the stomach solves the problem completely.
But medical professionals, in general, are resistant to doing that and will not suggest it and will try to have the family opt for the starvation euthanasia you describe.
But this simple feeding tube to the stomach causes them to never need to take anything by mouth ever again. Allows them excellent nutrition and makes them physically more healthy than they have been in years as their Alzheimer’s or other age-related dementia disease progressed.
They can live years quite physically healthy with this simple supportive care.