What happens when someone dies? 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.
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.
You breathe your last breath. Your heart stops beating. Your brain stops. Other vital organs, including your kidneys and liver, stop.
Decompensation progresses over a period of minutes even after the pulse is lost. Even when vascular collapse is the primary event, brain and lung functions stops next. The heart is the last organ to fail.
The heart may beat a few minutes after breathing stops, and a brief seizure may occur.
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.
The end-of-life period—when body systems shut down and death is imminent—typically lasts from a matter of days to a couple of weeks. Some patients die gently and tranquilly, while others seem to fight the inevitable. Reassuring your loved one it is okay to die can help both of you through this process.
Within two to three weeks, encephalopathy, cardiac failure, and death may occur.
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.
the person is entirely unresponsive. Breathing has stopped. Heartbeat and pulse has stopped.
The Police will arrange for a funeral director to collect the deceased and take the body into their care. If your loved one died while travelling to, or in, the hospital, they will be kept in the hospital mortuary. There will be experts on hand to inform close family immediately.
In most cases, when a patient is receiving the care and support of hospice, they will not experience pain during the dying process. Instead, their body will naturally begin to shut down. They will begin to have a decreased desire to eat and drink and will start to sleep more.
Once the patient reaches end stage renal disease (ESRD), death usually occurs within a few weeks. This can be longer or shorter depending on the patient's overall health, and how much kidney function they have left.
Healthcare providers use specific tests to diagnose organ failure in your different organs. For example: Liver function tests and kidney function tests measure chemicals in your blood and urine that give healthcare providers information about how your organs are functioning.
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.
Delirium is common during the final days of life. Most people have a lower level of consciousness. They may be withdrawn, be less alert, and have less energy. Some people may be agitated or restless, and have hallucinations (see or hear things not really there).
Late adulthood. The eighth and final stage of life is late adulthood. This stage refers to any individual who is older than sixty-five years old. Late adulthood is a time of deep reflection and introspection.
Transitioning is the first stage of dying. It describes a patient's decline as they get closer to actively dying. Generally, when one is transitioning, they likely have days — or even weeks — to live. I have seen some patients completely skip the transitioning phase and some stay in it for weeks.
For some people, the dying process may last weeks; for others, it may last a few days or hours.
Terminal agitation is typically seen during the hours or days before death and can be distressing and overwhelming for caregivers.
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.
At the end of life, urine output may decrease significantly or stop altogether. These symptoms are caused by reduced fluid intake and kidney function. In some cases, a catheter may be appropriate for preventing urinary retention, obstruction and skin breakdown, which can be very uncomfortable and trigger agitation.
“First hunger and then thirst are lost. Speech is lost next, followed by vision. The last senses to go are usually hearing and touch.”