Planning for end-of-life care can let patients decide

She sat in her hospital bed surrounded by the palliative-care team and her relatives as the meeting drew to a close. Clinical ethicist Clint Moore III leaned forward.

"What have we missed?" he said. "Have we had every question answered?"

There was still the matter of the two Yorkie dogs that Hayes' sister worried would bark at in-home caregivers. "I think that can be figured out," Moore said. "Agencies have dealt with that before."

Hayes thanked the palliative-care team, shook Preodor's hand and was ready to follow her chosen plan: to stop taking all but comfort-care medications, have her pain controlled and go home.   more . . .