“Two interventions have consistently been shown to help patients live their final days in accordance with their wishes: earlier conversations about their goals and greater use of palliative care services, which emphasize symptom control and greater psychological and spiritual well-being — and which recognize that longer survival is only part of what patients want.” What most of these patients actually get is aggressive medical care that may not even extend their lives. From NYT Upshot: We’re Bad at Death. Can We Talk?