Ironically, for American healthcare and how it delivers end-of-life care, this has been part of the secret to its financial success. The more un-Starbucks that healthcare is at the end of life, the more financially successful it is. When asked how they want to spend their last few months, 86% of Americans respond that they want to be at home with family and friends, free from the institutional grip of hospitals and nursing homes, and in relative comfort. However, only 24% of Americans older than 65 die at home; 63% die in hospitals or nursing homes, sometimes tethered to machines, and often in pain.
