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Jurisdictions that allow euthanasia or assisted suicide usually require that the patient be of sound mind as confirmed by a physician. But many nursing home patients are suffering from a significant level of cognitive decline and thus no longer meet the criteria. It's kind of a Catch-22.

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Yes, it's unfortunate. The taboos (cultural or otherwise) and personal hang ups that people have surrounding death and dying prevent people from acting before it's too late. Ideally very-old-age/death planning would become as normal and culturally acceptable as planning your retirement and pension. The former is absolutely certain to happen but people will give almost all their thought to the latter.

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