While the dying person may be unresponsive, there is growing evidence that even in this unconscious state, people are aware of what is going on around them and can hear conversations and words spoken to them, although it may feel to them like they are in a dream state.
The important findings, along with observations of long-time palliative care doctors and nurses, show: Brain activity supports that a dying patient most likely can hear. Even if awareness of sound cannot be communicated due to loss of motor responses, the value of verbal interactions is measurable and positive.
Many people lose consciousness near the end of life. But they may still have some awareness of other people in the room. They may be able to hear what's being said or feel someone holding their hand.
Visions and Hallucinations
Visual or auditory hallucinations are often part of the dying experience. The appearance of family members or loved ones who have died is common. These visions are considered normal. The dying may turn their focus to “another world” and talk to people or see things that others do not see.
Thus, their auditory systems were responding similarly to those of young, healthy controls just hours from end of life. Hearing may indeed be one of the last senses to lose function as humans die.
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.
Summary: Hearing is widely thought to be the last sense to go in the dying process.
About six minutes after the heart stops, the brain essentially dies.
"I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me." "I wish I hadn't worked so hard." "I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings." "I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends."
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. Though the active stage can be different for everyone, common symptoms include unresponsiveness and a significant drop in blood pressure.
Just before death some people become restless, agitated and confused. This is known as terminal restlessness. It often occurs within the last few days of life. Terminal restlessness can be caused by a range of things and sometimes calming drugs are needed.
Changing vital signs
As a person approaches death, their vital signs may change in the following ways: blood pressure drops. breathing changes. heartbeat becomes irregular.
“First hunger and then thirst are lost. Speech is lost next, followed by vision. The last senses to go are usually hearing and touch.”
to be extremely eager to have or do something: I'm dying to hear your news.
Terminal agitation is typically seen during the hours or days before death and can be distressing and overwhelming for caregivers.
When someone may be entering the last days of life, a healthcare professional should tell the patient that they're dying (unless they don't want to know).
Looking back on their lives, one major end-of-life regret many people have is that they wish they had spent more time with loved ones – whether their family members or close friends. Your loved one may have worked long hours that kept them away from home.
In time, the heart stops and they stop breathing. Within a few minutes, their brain stops functioning entirely and their skin starts to cool. At this point, they have died.
8. The body as a whole may be dead, but certain parts within are still alive. The brain is the first organ to begin to break down, and other organs follow suit.
It's important to know that in these final stages, the person may close their eyes often. At some point, they may not open them again. Their eyes may often be half open, which can be distressing to see.
Often before death, people will lapse into an unconscious or coma-like state and become completely unresponsive. This is a very deep state of unconsciousness in which a person cannot be aroused, will not open their eyes, or will be unable to communicate or respond to touch.
So what do dying people want? In short: truth, touch and time. They want others — family, friends and physicians — to be truthful with them in all respects, whether discussing the disease process, treatment options or personal relationships.