17 Mar 5 things you might not know about death

Hospice NZ has created a range of 5 ways resources as part of the #weneedtotalkaboutdying campaign.

Often it is hard to know the right words in situations that we don’t come face to face with everyday.  These resources are based on our hospices experiences of caring for people who are dying.

5 things you might not know about death.

• Death is most commonly calm, peaceful and gentle if managed properly.
• When people are nearing the end of their lives, they become more tired, lose their appetites, and often become less interested in those around them.
• People’s breathing patterns change as they are dying – it can be fast and shallow, or sometimes noisy, or there can be long gaps between breaths.
• Choosing to withdraw treatment such as medicine or feeding tubes is not euthanasia. It’s part of the normal choices you have in good end of life care.
• People who are dying can create unfamiliar noises that may be distressing for the family, such as the death rattle (retained secretions), but are not distressing for patients.

Please feel free to read and share.  It might come in handy for you or someone you know.