It's part of aging: less health, more time in doctors' offices. But for seniors and their loved ones, the concept of caveat emptor, buyer beware, may kick in as never before.

Older adults long have been subject to excess care, specifically over-testing, over-diagnosis, and over-medication. But signs are increasing that they also may be suffering due to doctors and hospitals pushing them toward bigger and more aggressive treatment with various kinds of surgical procedures.

Patients should always consider their doctors’ counsel with due care. But they also may wish to take precautions to shield themselves from costly, complex, invasive, demanding, and painful medical therapies that they don’t want and that won’t improve either the quality of their lives or their longevity. Although they are supposed to be protected from such unacceptable care, it occurs with disturbing frequency, especially for the aged....