Professor Declan Walsh:

I would have thought that in any situation of this kind - I have not been involved with the care pathway initiative because it is not in widespread use in the United States - it would be very unusual for the family not to be informed in advance of any pathway-like approach being adopted. Certainly, my experience has been that when it is decided a person is, in fact, dying and that a certain series of interventions or measures is needed to ensure his or her comfort as he or she dies, the family is consulted in advance.