As an invasive cardiologist in the US I deal with end-of-life issues almost daily. It is my experience that many elderly patients survive cardiac arrests with a very poor quality of life or in a vegetative state. I have seen too many such patients living a miserable life for months in a hospital or nursing home bed, with the family suffering too. With advances in intensive medical care and life support systems, life can be prolonged indefinitely making it difficult to die in peace.