Filing Suit for âWrongful Lifeâ More Americans are writing end-of-life instructions as the pandemic renders such decisions less abstract. But are medical providers listening? When Elaine Greenberg’s husband, Gerald, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, his specific advance directive — comfort measures only — went unheeded at the hospital where he was treated.Credit...Jackie Molloy for The New York Times Published Jan. 22, 2021Updated Jan. 26, 2021 Gerald and Elaine Greenberg married in 1976, as dental students. They practiced on Long Island and in Manhattan and raised two sons. Then in 2010, she noticed that her husband, the math whiz, was having trouble calculating tips in restaurants. âHe just didnât seem as sharp,â she said.