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I think "going into a home" isn't the real measure, for me. At one point my grandparents were in an assisted-living facility that was basically an apartment building, but with people who come round twice a day to clean, make sure medical needs are taken care of, cook if necessary... The people who lived there loved it. It was like a residential social club. They all dressed for dinner--you'd see them down in the "restaurant" (lunch and dinner were included with the price of living there, but it was table service with nice tablecloths and everything), all done up in dresses and bow ties, having a great old time.
As their health continued to go downhill, they moved into a facility that was much more hospital-oriented. By the end, my grandfather's slowly filling lungs were drowning him to death in a hospital bed while my grandmother sat in the chair staring into space. They hadn't seen each other in years, and didn't even know they hadn't. Most definitely NOT how I want to end up.
I'd very much prefer to have a legal document prepared in advance that authorizes a painless death when I reach the point that a doctor can certify me non compos mentis, or when I request it every day for, say, a month. I want to set it up so it's available to me as a conscious choice, but I want to have to mean business about it.
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