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Dehydration and starvation are absolutely euphoric methods of death...and highly dignified too! ...from what I’ve heard

Ah, so no troublesome things like first-hand experience or facts to back up this opinion? Just the well of grandstanding and ruckus-raising to garner an emotional opinion? At least you are a little less of a coward to admit it.

My grandmother obtained hospice care for her 75 year old sister when she was dying of breast cancer. The nurses came to their house, provided a hospital bed, helped her use the bathroom, and yes, helped her eat and drink until the cancer took its course. My great-aunt was not starved or dehydrated, but she did get to die in the company of her family instead of in a noisy, impersonal hospital ward.

Not all surgeries available are life-saving or even comfort-making. Some are worth is because of quality of life: my uncle had advanced-stage esophageal cancer at age 49. While most of the tumors were inoperable, doctors did go in to make enough room so he could swallow and eat semi-normally. On the other hand, if you have someone with end-stage Alzheimer's who suddenly develops a heart valve issue, is it worth the risk of anesthesia, infection, and long recovery time for what will likely be a minimal (if at all) improvement in life quality?

We all want to do the right thing by our loved ones. However, our fear of aging and death makes us do things to them that are not about saving a life or prolonging life in a meaningful way. It's not about money: it's about not performing major surgery on someone who will not benefit from it. Relieve pain, don't create it.