He was able to die well because - and only because - he had access to good palliative care.

We shouldn't be indulgent towards his mistakes.

But palliative care patients didn't just live longer. They also lived better, with less depression and a higher quality of life, he says.

Teams that provide palliative care focus on talking to patients, trying to understand people's values and tailor care to the patients' goals, Cooney says.

"Even the most robust palliative care programs have limited resources," he says.