We shouldn’t just leave old people alone, Butler says.

Question: Is prolonging life necessary at all costs?

Robert Butler: I don’t think we should just leave old people alone. I mean there is no reason why they should be put in isolation. I think the decision as to when one dies should be a mutual decision including of course of the patient, the doctor, the family and that is what actually happens probably about 70% of the time and then there are times when people have not written out an advanced directive or maybe they don’t have a family to look out or be their proxy or confusion reigns or different religious and other attitudes get into the situation, but by and large it should be prearranged by an individual to state exactly what they would want at the end of their life and under what circumstances.

Recorded on: March 17, 2008