I agree. And my grandmother, who died last year at the age of 86, said the same thing. As we watched the Katrina story unfold on TV, she said something about those in hospitals and nursing homes. When the Dr Pou story broke, she said “God help me, if I was in that situation, at my age or in bad health, I’d WANT them to end my misery. Imagine being in that heat, that stench, with no clean water or supplies, no toilet, no way to cook whatever food you had, no way to cool off, in pain! Listen, when you’re my age, death isn’t the worst thing that can happen. You’ve faced it. You’re ready for it.”
I can understand that view. I wouldn’t want my dog to be left in those conditions, let alone my beloved family. I watched my mother in law die a lingering, 2 year long death and it made me realize that death itself can be very welcome. And if you believe in God (as both of these ladies did) death can be welcomed. They were convinced that something better was waiting. Their deaths - while sad for us - weren’t sorrowful and terrible things.