If your loved one in hospice care becomes nonverbal and unresponsive, it's easy to believe the misconception that they can't hear you. A recent study, however, reveals that hearing is the last sense that remains for dying patients.
"Our data shows that a dying brain can respond to sound, even in an unconscious state, up to the last hours of life." This new insight into the dying brain's response to sound can help family and friends bring comfort to a person in their final moments.
This stage is also one of reflection. The dying person often thinks back over their life and revisits old memories.4 They might also be going over the things they regret.
They Know They're Dying
Dying is a natural process that the body has to work at. Just as a woman in labor knows a baby is coming, a dying person may instinctively know death is near. Even if your loved one doesn't discuss their death, they most likely know it is coming.
As the body nears death
Some are awake and talking until the very end. Others may not be awake or aware. Or they may shift between levels of awareness.
Hospice has a program that says that no one should have to die alone, and yet this hospice nurse is telling me to take a break? Some patients want to die when no one else is there. Hospice professionals know that companionship while dying is a personal preference.
Another common end-of-life change is that people may not respond to questions and may also show little interest in their surroundings. Let your loved one sleep and remain peaceful. Offer reassuring words and touches, but don't pressure the person to interact.
The first organ system to “close down” is the digestive system. Digestion is a lot of work! In the last few weeks, there is really no need to process food to build new cells. That energy needs to go elsewhere.
Irregular breathing, panting and periods of not breathing may occur. Changes in breathing are very common and indicate a decrease in circulation to the internal organs. While these changes are not usually bothersome to the patient, they can be distressing to family members. Elevating the head may provide relief.
Physical signs
Facial muscles may relax and the jaw can drop. Skin can become very pale. Breathing can alternate between loud rasping breaths and quiet breathing. Towards the end, dying people will often only breathe periodically, with an intake of breath followed by no breath for several seconds.
The duration of the gasping respiration phase varies; it may be as brief as one or two breaths to a prolonged period of gasping lasting minutes or even hours.
“First hunger and then thirst are lost. Speech is lost next, followed by vision. The last senses to go are usually hearing and touch.”
Research suggests that even as your body transitions into unconsciousness, it's possible that you'll still be able to feel comforting touches from your loved ones and hear them speaking. Touch and hearing are the last senses to go when we die.
They concluded that the dying brain responds to sound tones even during an unconscious state and that hearing is the last sense to go in the dying process.
As humans lay dying, new research suggests that one crucial sense is still functioning: The brain still registers the last sounds a person will ever hear, even if the body has become unresponsive. A study released in June suggests that hearing is one of the last senses to disappear during death.
I see the whole dying process as a transition, so when decline happens, when their normal way of living begins to fade, they are transitioning. We will sometimes refer to it as, "a change in conditon." When they start to shut down, and their breathing changes, and they begin to let go…
How Long Does the Active Stage of Dying Last? The active stage of dying generally only lasts for about 3 days. The active stage is preceded by an approximately 3-week period of the pre-active dying stage.
Hours Before Death Symptoms
This may lead to falling body temperatures, but may also cause sudden outbursts. Your loved one will also experience greater difficulty interacting with the outside world. They may not be able to see you and may be unresponsive when you try to communicate with them.
No – not everyone gets pain in their last weeks, days or hours of life. Some people have no pain at all. However, we know that many people with a terminal illness do experience pain. For people who are in pain, there are different things that can help including medication, support and other practical things.
The death rattle is a sign that a person is approaching death. With each breath, a person may make a moaning, snoring, or rattling sound.
Go Ahead and Cry
It opens a pathway to a conversation that could be once in a lifetime. Additionally, the loved one who's dying knows others are sad. It could be worse for him or her to not see the family cry; tears are a sign of love and understanding of what's happening.
Use gentle touch
Whenever you need to move or turn your loved one speak softly to her first to tell her what is going to happen, then touch her arm or hand gently to prepare her for the motion. You can hold your loved one's hand or offer very gentle massage as long as that seems to be soothing to her.