“Active dying” usually refers to the final hours to days of life, when the body is shutting down. Common signs can include:
- Sleeping most of the time and becoming difficult to wake.
- Reduced interest in food and fluids, or inability to swallow safely.
- Increased weakness and inability to move or get out of bed.
- Changes in breathing, such as pauses between breaths, irregular breathing patterns, or noisy breathing from secretions (“death rattle”).
- Decreased urine output and darker urine.
- Cool, pale, bluish, or mottled skin, especially on the hands, feet, knees, and legs.
- Changes in consciousness, including confusion, disorientation, restlessness, or periods of unresponsiveness.
- Withdrawal from conversation and surroundings.
- Changes in pulse and blood pressure, though these are usually observed by healthcare professionals.
Not everyone experiences all of these signs, and the timing can vary considerably.
If you’re asking about a specific person, it would help to know:
- Their age and underlying illness.
- Which signs you’re seeing.
- Whether they are at home, in hospice, or in a hospital.
If there is sudden severe breathing distress, uncontrolled pain, or another symptom causing concern, contact their healthcare team, hospice provider, or emergency services as appropriate.
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