In a recent article for Upworthy palliative care nurse Julie MacFadden explained the symptoms she sees in those who will die a natural death in the next six months. McFadden cares for those who enter hospice care and every patient exhibits the same three symptoms. I’ve written in the past about the signs death may be only hours away. I wanted to share now about signs death may be imminent in the coming months.

Those in the last six months of life become less social, more withdrawn and less engaging. Second, the patient is sleeping a lot more. And, finally, they are eating and drinking a lot less. All of these can be hard for loved ones to accept but it is a natural process for the body approaching death. Knowing these signs, though, can help a caregiver be better prepared.

McFadden goes on to share the signs seen at the three month mark. In addition to eating and drinking less and sleeping there is less mobility. Physically it will be a challenge to walk to the bathroom.

In the last month of dying McFadden shares that a person will begin to “see” loved ones who are dead. Many hospice and palliative care nurses report this. In the book, Final Gifts, hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share the same observations. Those in their final month have a foot in two worlds and are already with those they’ve lost to death.

If we know more about the journey our loved one is traveling and the symptoms they exhibit we will know better when death is imminent.