Life Stage
Someone May Die Soon
You sense the end is near and want to know what to expect, and what you can do to help.
Articles for this stage
Anticipatory Grief: Grieving Before a Loss Happens
What anticipatory grief is, why it happens, and how it can affect a family caring for someone with a serious illness.
Read the guide →Changes in Eating, Drinking, and Physical Comfort Near the End of Life
Why appetite and thirst naturally decline near the end of life, and how families can focus on comfort instead.
Read the guide →Comfort Care Explained
What comfort care actually means, how it relates to palliative care and hospice, and what it typically involves.
Read the guide →The Science Behind the Death Rattle
The physiological mechanism behind the death rattle, why it happens, and the clinical evidence for why it's generally not distressing to the dying person.
Read the guide →The Science of Appetite Loss Near Death
The physiological reasoning behind appetite loss near death, and why forcing nutrition at this stage can sometimes cause more harm than benefit.
Read the guide →The Science of Hearing Near the End of Life
The physiological reasoning behind why hearing may persist even when other responses are lost near the end of life.
Read the guide →Why Do Some People Become Suddenly Alert Before Death?
What terminal lucidity is - a documented but not fully understood period of unexpected alertness some people experience shortly before death.
Read the guide →What Does the Brain Experience When We Die?
What current research suggests about brain activity around death, and the real limits of what science can say about conscious experience.
Read the guide →What Families Can Do Near the End of Life
Practical, comforting ideas for what family members can actually do to help near the end of a loved one's life.
Read the guide →What Happens to Consciousness During Cardiac Arrest?
What current research says about brain activity and awareness during cardiac arrest, and why some survivors report memories from this period.
Read the guide →What Is a Near-Death Experience?
What near-death experiences actually are, what's genuinely documented about them, and why their explanation remains a matter of ongoing debate.
Read the guide →What to Expect in the Final Hours
A calm, factual explanation of common physical changes in the final hours of life, and what they generally mean.
Read the guide →What to Expect in the Final Weeks and Days
A calm, factual look at the common changes families often notice in the weeks and days before a death, and what they generally mean.
Read the guide →When Should Someone Consider Hospice? Signs and Timing
Families often wonder if they're asking too early or too late. Here are the signs doctors and hospice teams commonly look for, and how to bring it up.
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