Mark, thank you so much for the highly pensive response and for reading. You raise some thought-provoking questions certainly; a project awaiting undertaking for sure.

I do wonder often about end-of-life care and the efficacy of what we currently have — medicine on the cutting edge but “caretaking” taking a secondary stance.

I’ve recently read the book “Being Mortal: On Medicine and What Matters in the End” and it deals with just this issue. It’s by Atul Gawande, a brilliant and inspiring writer and surgeon. He explains how the entire aging and dying process has changed and ultimately been redefined as modern medicine increases in potency and efficacy. Aging and dying used to be an intimate community affair. Now, more often than not, aging and dying are relegated to nursing homes and hospitals. Pros and cons to each, all explained thoughtfully by Gawande. It seems right up your alley of inquiry.