One medical expert has spoken out about the signs people can look for when a loved one is moving closer to their death to make sure they are comforted. Spotting the signs is not easy as family members watch their loved one battle with terminal illnesses, but they may be useful to spot in order to help make a loved one feel more comfortable and prepared, writes The Mirror.
Signs can start months before and can include simple things, like a person sleeping or dosing more. For one to three months before a person's passing, Web MD listed the symptoms and they were reviewed by physician Carol DerSarkissian.
Other initial signs include your loved one eating and drinking less, while they withdraw and no longer enjoy the thing that would usually give them some pleasure. Older people are also prone to talking less, but children could be the reverse and talk a lot more.
More obvious are the signs around one to two weeks before a person passes and Web MD said a "person may feel tired and drained all the time, so much that they don't leave their bed." Also expected is different sleeping patterns, while there is little appetite for food or even thirst for water.
Patients may also experience more pain, while there could be changes in their blood pressure, breathing and heart rate. It is at this point, depending on the patient and the illness as well as multiple other factors, that a loved one may start experiencing confusion, or appear to be in some sort of daze. They may even experience hallucinations.
It is important to remember that each person is different and generally speaking palliative care experts say being there for a loved one is important, regardless of their symptoms. Palliative care experts insist that a family's presence is important when a person is experiencing the last few hours, days and weeks of their life.
Marie Curie said: "They may not respond when people talk to them or touch them. Even if someone does not respond to you, they may still be able to feel or hear you and be comforted by you being there."
People should not necessarily fret over when the right time to say goodbye is either and Marie Curie says families should "do what feels right for you". They added: "Some people get worse more quickly than expected. So if there is something you want to say to your family member or friend, it's important to say it.
"You may want to ask other family or friends to visit or say goodbye to your loved one. Or you might want to arrange for a religious or spiritual leader to visit. Not everyone wants to do this – and that's OK too. Some people might need time to rest between visitors and might find a large group of people overwhelming. Others might find it comforting to have people around."
As people near their final hours, their body temperature may drop, while they don't want to eat or drink, they stop urinating and having bowel movements, people may even be in pain.
Tell-tale signs could also be the "skin on their knees, feet, and hands turns a mottled bluish-purple" and difficulty breathing. Marie Curie has advice on palliative care here.
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