They may feel guilty about past events in their relationship with the dying person or feel that they have been neglectful. These common emotions can result in tension, fights between family members over decisions, worsened care, and sometimes (in what medical professionals call the "Daughter from California syndrome") a long-absent family member arrives while a patient is dying to demand inappropriately aggressive care.
Individuals involved may experience regret over past interactions with the person who is terminally ill or feel that they have fallen short. This can result in strained relationships, disagreements among family members regarding care decisions, and sometimes (as described by medical professionals as the "Daughter from California syndrome") a distant relative appears while the patient is dying to demand overly aggressive treatment.