They may answer questions slowly or not at all, seem confused, and may not be interested in what's going on around them. Patients may withdraw and spend more time sleeping. Patients near death may not respond to others. This can make the patient uncomfortable or cause choking. Food and fluids should not be forced on the patient. The family may give ice chips or swab the mouth and lips to keep them moist. In the final days to hours of life, patients often lose the desire to eat or drink, and may not want food and fluids that are offered to them. Patients may not want to eat or drink in the final days or hours. Healthcare providers can give family members information about the changes they may see in their loved one in the final hours and how they may help their loved one through this. Knowing what to expect can help them get ready for the death of their loved one and make this time less stressful and confusing. Most people don't know the signs that show death is near. Knowing what to expect in the final days or hours helps comfort the family. Patients and their families may have cultural or religious beliefs and customs that are important at the time of death.A number of physical changes are common when the patient is near death.Patients near death may not respond to others.Patients may not want to eat or drink in the final days or hours.Knowing what to expect in the final days or hours helps comfort the family.See the PDQ summary on Planning the Transition to End-of-Life Care in Advanced Cancer for more information on end-of-life planning, including palliative and hospice care. It may help patients and their families prepare for decisions that they need to make during this time. It discusses care during the last days and last hours of life, including treatment of common symptoms and ethical questions that may come up. This summary is about end of life in adults with cancer and where noted, children with cancer. When a child is terminally ill, end-of-life discussions with the child's doctor may reduce the time the child spends in the hospital and help the parents feel more prepared. Having these decisions in writing can make the patient's wishes clear to both the family and the healthcare team. It is most helpful if end-of life planning and decision-making begin soon after the cancer is diagnosed and continue during the course of the disease. When treatment choices and plans are discussed before the end of life, it can lower the stress on both the patient and the family. This will help make it easier for family members to make major decisions for the patient at the end of life. It is important for families and healthcare providers to know the patient's wishes ahead of time and to talk with the patient openly about end-of-life plans. It is a time when many decisions about treatment and care are made for patients with cancer. The end of life may be months, weeks, days, or hours.

3 minutes before death