While living with dignity is important dying with respect and dignity is also equally important. If you look at millions of elderly people around the world, they are suffering in silence and are mostly left to the care of old-age homes where they are just but assured a living. Two square meals, a place to live and some good clothing to wear is not all that elderly people expect from society. They need companionship, respect dignity and a feeling that they are important to society and are cared for. They have served the best years of their lives for the benefit of their families and society in general. In return, the least we can expect to give them back as children is love and affection, which the have showered on us abundantly. Society should also learn to treat this elderly people with compassion and care.

In this mission of affording the elderly people the right to die with dignity, hospice plays a very vital role. Elderly people often suffer from poor health and what they need is a comprehensive health plan which takes care of their day to day health apart from being beside them materially and emotionally when they are up against some major illness. Hospice is a very vital alternative health plan that is built around the cornerstones of respect, dignity and understanding. There are thousands of unfortunate elderly patients who are suffering from various stages of terminal diseases. Though there are many laws in various states governing death with dignity of elders, hospice is the messenger which carries on this torch effectively.

Hospice patients are given the options of increasing their pain medication even though it might mean hastening of death process. They also have the right to request for themselves terminal sedation to avoid pain and suffering. They can also be allowed to dehydrate themselves to death.