As death nears, a person will no longer respond to your voice or touch but they may still be able to hear you and it is important that you continue to talk to them.

Occasionally, someone who is unresponsive may have a surge in energy and become more alert for a short period of time. If this occurs, they may be talkative or become interested in food or visitors. This surge in energy can last for a few minutes or for a few hours prior to becoming very sleepy and unresponsive again.

These are some of the signs that death is near:

When a person dies they will stop breathing, there will be no response and no pulse. 

Their eyes may be slightly open and unblinking with a gaze fixed on a certain spot. You may gently close their eyelids. All of the muscles of the body relax and they will often look peaceful and serene. As the jaw relaxes, their mouth may open slightly. Within a short while, a rush of air may be released from the lungs and there may be a release of bladder and bowel contents.

Sometimes the process is gradual and you may not be sure for a while that the person has died.

Even with the signs of death, no one can know exactly when death will occur.

Don’t worry if the nurses stop taking blood pressure and pulse readings as they are not always reliable signs that death is imminent.