How to tell death is near
The signs of death approaching will be different for each person. It is difficult to predict what may happen at the end of life, how long the final stage of dying will last, or when death will actually happen. Death may come quickly due to an unexpected event or the final dying process may happen slowly with the person you care for lingering.
The following signs are examples of what may happen to the person you care for and who is dying. Some may or may not happen, but it can be useful to know about them.
Body changes
- very weak and unable to get out of bed
- needing help with all personal care
- loss of interest in food and may have little food or fluid intake for days
- the mouth becomes very dry and/or mucus collects at the back of the mouth
- trouble taking medication, swallowing tablets
- sudden movements of muscles, twitching or jerking (terminal restlessness caused by build-up of toxins in the body)
- drooping lips
- skin feels cool to the touch and/or dry or damp
- skin darkens or becomes blotchy
- heart rate may become fast, faint, or irregular
- blood pressure gets lower
- breathing gets faster or slows down or may have periods when not breathing for 10-30 seconds
- vision becomes blurry and pupils may not change in size
- trouble closing eyelids
- hearing may decrease but the person can still hear you even if they cannot speak
- urine becomes darker and/or urinary and bowel incontinence.
Changes in consciousness
- dozing or sleeping for much of the day and hard to wake up
- confused about time, place, or people
- restless and pulling at bed clothes
- talking about unrelated events or people
- agitation, anxiety, and fear
- may have a short time when mentally clear, particularly after a period of sleep
It is important to understand what to expect in a person’s last weeks or days and how you can practically care for them (PDF) at this time.