In this article in the New York Times, Catholic nuns near Rochester, New York, reveal their method of dealing with the ends of their own lives, namely "with discernment." The Sisters have been modeling the factors that studies have shown can influence "successful aging and a gentle death": a network of caring relationships, intellectual stimulation, interest and purpose in life, and engagement in spiritual belief. Also, the Sisters and their doctor have learned that it's easier to make individual decisions about end-of-life issues at home in the convent than in the bustle of the hospital, that choosing aggressive medical treatments in the hospital usually isn't the best way to end one's life. The doctor concludes that these Sisters have the best deaths of any people he has seen.
