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Aug 17, 2023 · When someone is nearing the end of their life, they will experience a variety of characteristic symptoms. Pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, constipation, loss of appetite, fatigue, and change in skin tone and texture are just a few. Death is considered imminent with the loss of bowel control, delirium, and the "death rattle."
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Jun 26, 2023 · Skin on arms, legs, hands, and feet may darken and look blue or mottled (blotchy) Other areas of the body may become either darker or paler. Skin may feel cold and either dry or damp. Heart rate may become fast, faint, or irregular. Blood pressure may get lower and become hard to hear.
- Overview
- How to tell if death is near
- How to cope in the final hours
- Other signs
- How to cope after a loved one has died
Knowing death may be near is often difficult to deal with or comprehend. Signs a person is close to dying include decreased appetite, vital sign changes, weakness, and increased sleeping.
This article explores 11 signs that death is approaching. It goes on to look at the signs that indicate a person has died and discusses how to cope with the death of a loved one.
Decreasing appetite
As a person approaches death, they become less active. This means their body needs less energy. They may stop eating or drinking as much as their appetite gradually reduces. A person may completely stop eating before they die. When this happens, it helps to keep their lips moistened with lip balm so that they are not uncomfortable.
Sleeping more
In the time before a person dies, they may spend less time awake. If a person is caring for a dying loved one who is sleepy, they should make them comfortable and let them sleep. Caregivers should help the person change position in bed every 1–2 hours. Hearing is often the last sense that a person loses, so continuing to speak to them in a calm, quiet voice can provide reassurance.
Changing toilet habits
Because a dying person is eating and drinking less, their bowel movements may reduce. They may pass solid waste less often. They may also urinate less frequently. If a person loses control of urination, speaking to the hospital about a catheter for the person may help. These changes can be distressing to witness in a loved one, but they are to be expected.
In the hours before a person dies, their organs shut down, and their body stops working. It is not always clear when this happens.
A person caring for a dying loved one in their last hours should make them feel as comfortable as they can.
If a dying person is attached to a heart rate monitor, those around them will be able to see when their heart has stopped working, meaning that they have died.
Other signs of death include:
•not having a pulse
•not breathing
•no muscle tension
•eyes remaining fixed
Even when it is expected, the death of a loved one is never easy to cope with for those who were close to them.
People must give themselves the time and space to grieve. They should also seek support from friends and family.
Every person deals with grief in a different way. But there are some common feelings and experiences that people may want to share. For this reason, bereavement support groups may be useful.
Support groups help people explore their grief in a consoling environment with other people facing a similar experience. There are a range of support groups to explore listed on the website Grief.com.
- Lana Burgess
Changes to the skin. As death nears, the skin can change. It may look pale, blotchy or bluish. It may become thin, dry and flaky. There may be reddened areas over the joints of the hands and legs. Hands or feet may feel cool to the touch, but the person doesn’t feel cold.
When a person is near the end of life you may hear them gurgle or make snoring-like sounds with each breath. This may sound like they are choking. These noises happen because the person swallows less. Small amounts of fluid will collect in the throat or the tongue will move back due to the relaxation of the jaw and throat muscles.
Sep 24, 2024 · When death is near, breathing changes to a new pattern. Instead of a normal rate and rhythm, you may notice several rapid breaths followed by a period of no breathing, called “apnea.”. Eventually, apnea increases from just a few seconds to longer periods with no breathing.
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Some people's hands, feet, arms and legs may feel colder. Some people's skin looks slightly blue. On darker skin tones, this might be easier to see on their lips, nose, cheeks, ears, tongue, or the inside of their mouth. Some people's skin looks mottled (has different coloured blotches or patches). On lighter skin tones, these areas might look ...
