Advances are being made in medical technology every day. Diseases are being cured, and better treatments are becoming available for diseases that are not. As a result, people are living longer, and some medical problems that once killed no longer do so. Almost everyone would agree that living longer would be great, but for patients with dementia, Alzheimer's, or any other debilitating disease, a longer life simply means more time to grieve. Extended life has become a topic of ethical debate and there are many aspects to consider when discussing it. When asked to choose between quality of life and length of life, most people would probably choose quality over length. In an article by Katy Butler found that “30% of seriously ill people interviewed in one hospital said they would prefer to die…patients with advanced heart failure said they would trade one day of excellent health for two more years in their current state" (Butler). Once they have lost the ability to care for themselves, their quality of life suffers. They can no longer enjoy life like they used to. Every person deserves the right to determine whether or not quality of life is more important than length of life, but in some cases it is not. Part of the decision making process is being informed. Elderly patients who benefit from these life-extending technologies are often not adequately informed about the pros, cons and alternatives (Butler). Most patients would refuse aggressive treatment knowing that their suffering would be prolonged. One reason for this lack of understanding is that some patients are too ill to discuss the decision. This leaves the decision up to loved ones who may not be aware of what the patient would like done.......middle of paper......so much so that they consider the benefits of allowing these technologies to benefit the young people whose lives have just begun. Works Cited Butler, Katy. "What broke my father's heart." The New York Times. The New York Times, June 19, 2010. Web. May 2, 2014. Lee, Thomas. "Medical technology extends life. But is it a good thing?" MedCity News. MedCity News, June 29, 2010. Web. May 2, 2014.Mohide, E. Ann, George W. Torrance, David L. Streiner, Dorothy Ann Pringle, and Raymond Gilbert. “Measuring the well-being of family caregivers using the time trade-off technique.” . Pergamon Press, September 25, 1987. Web. May 2, 2014. “Oregon Medical Board, Death with Dignity Safeguards Protect Patients.” . Compassion and Choices, June 25, 2010. Web. May 2, 2014. Winston, Morton Emanuel. “Technology and Ethics in the News.” Society, ethics and technology. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2014. . Press.