It is important to have a document in place
known as a “do not resuscitate order” or
“DNA CPR” (which stands for do not attempt
cardiopulmonary resuscitation) which confirms
the dying person should be allowed a natural
death that no attempts would be made to restart
their heart.
Contact us
A guide to
what happens when
someone is dying
After death, a health professional needs to
verify the death to allow for the undertaker to
be contacted; this can be a doctor, a suitably
qualified nurse or paramedic.
Changes in care
We ask the doctor, who is leading on their care,
to look at the medicines and treatments to make
sure that all those that are needed to keep the
person comfortable are given. Extra medicines
will be considered, if needed, for any symptoms
like pain or breathlessness. The medication
helps support the person’s comfort and dignity.
The medication prescribed by the doctor is not
given to hasten death. If the person is dying at
home, a supply of these medicines is usually
kept in the house in case they are needed.
If you are unsure about what is happening or
have any questions, please ask. Our staff are
here to help you, and want to do the best they
can to keep your relative or friend comfortable.
Customer Care Team
If you have a query about our health services,
or would like to comment, compliment or complain
about Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust,
you can contact the Customer Care Team.
Phone: 0300 123 1807
8am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Please ask
if you would like the team to call you back
Text: 07943 091958
Email: [email protected]
Address: Customer Care Team,
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust,
Trinity House,
110-120 Upper Pemberton, Eureka Park,
Ashford, Kent TN25 4AZ.
Web:
www.kentcht.nhs.uk
If you would like this information in another language,
audio, Braille, Easy Read or large print, please ask a
member of staff. You will be asked for your agreement
to treatment and, if necessary, your permission to share
your personal information.
Leaflet code: 00893
00893 when someone dying_KCHFT_v1.indd 1
Published: January 2015
Expires: January 2018
16.04.15
The nurses and carers will keep a dying person
comfortable by making sure their skin, mouth,
bladder and bowels are well cared for. A special
mattress or bed and changes in position may be
helpful. We want to make sure they are comfortable
and all those people who are important to them,
including family and friends, feel well informed
and supported. We usually stop monitoring
things like blood pressure and temperature as
they do not help with the care needed.
Excellent care,
healthy communities
01/07/2015 12:28:45
This leaflet explains the physical and emotional
changes that may happen in the last few days of
a person’s life. It aims to answer some of the
questions you may have about what happens
when someone is close to death. If it does not
answer the questions you have, please speak to
a senior member of our staff who will be able to
help you.
still enjoy small amounts of soft food and sips of
drinks but can feel too tired at times. Our aim
is to help people to eat and drink for as long as
they want to. As a person gets weaker, they
may need help to take sips of fluid. A drinking
beaker or straw can make sipping drinks easier.
If a person has trouble swallowing our staff can
advise what to do.
We are all different, but in most cases there are
common changes that can show us a person may
be close to death. Sometimes people die very
quickly; others deteriorate over a period of days.
It is very hard for healthcare professionals to be
certain when someone will die, but they will try to
keep you informed at all times. At this difficult time,
please talk to our staff about what information you
need or if you have any questions.
A drip (giving fluids through a tube) is occasionally
used to give people fluids if this is needed to keep
them comfortable. A person at the end of their
life does not need the same amount of fluid and
usually cannot cope with extra fluids from a drip.
This treatment would be for a short period of time
only and only following discussion to make sure
it is in the best interests of the patient. Fluid from
a drip can start to build up in the lungs and make
breathlessness worse. If this happens, any drip or
feeding tube is stopped, as it is no longer helping.
Healthcare professionals talk
about symptoms what are these?
A symptom is a feeling or sensation which the
patient experiences. It is a feeling of something
being ‘not quite right’ about one’s body and is
usually uncomfortable or, at least, unwanted.
Examples when someone is dying may be pain,
breathlessness, feeling sick, having a poor
appetite and constipation. A symptom may occur
suddenly or be present for a while. A symptom
is something that only the patient can truly know,
as it is he or she who experiences it. Our staff
are here to help reduce or relieve the effect of
these symptoms.
Should eating and drinking
still be encouraged?
It is normal for a person who is dying to gradually
feel less like eating or drinking. Some people may
00893 when someone dying_KCHFT_v1.indd 2
Keeping a person’s mouth moist and clean helps
keep them comfortable. Please ask staff to guide
you if you feel help is needed.
What happens to a person’s breathing?
When someone is dying their need for oxygen
reduces and the way they breathe changes. As
people get more unwell, their breathing may
pause for a while and then start again. They use
different muscles to breathe, which means their
breathing will look different.
In the last hours of life, there can be a noisy rattle
to breathing. This is due to a build-up of mucus at
the back of the throat which can no longer be
coughed up. Medication may be used to reduce
this and changes to the person’s position in bed
may also help. This can sound distressing, but
is generally not upsetting for the person. Often
changing the person’s position can reduce the
noise of breathing or an injection of medicine may
help to reduce the secretions. Sometimes there
are long pauses between breaths or the abdominal
muscles (tummy) take over the work and the
abdomen rises and falls instead of the chest.
What changes can occur in how
the person looks and behaves?
When someone is dying their skin may become
pale and moist. Their hands and feet can feel
very cold and sometimes look bluish in colour.
Dying people often feel very tired and will sleep
more. Even when they are awake, they may be
drowsier than they have been. As people get
more unwell they will be awake less and less.
They will eventually not wake up at all. They
may still be aware of the presence of family and
friends so you can still talk to them.
How can we help maintain dignity?
As someone gets closer to death, they may lose
control of their bladder and bowel. The nurses
and care staff may use pads or other aids to
make sure they remain dry and comfortable.
Sometimes a catheter (a tube that goes into the
bladder) may be used to collect urine.
If a person has symptoms such as pain, the
senior clinician (the doctor or a specially trained
nurse) can prescribe treatments, such as pain
relief, to help with these symptoms. If you have
any questions regarding symptoms, please ask
our staff. Medicines can be given by mouth, or
if the person has difficulty taking medication
by mouth they can have for some treatments
skin patches, or injections or by a continuous
injection (known as a syringe driver).
01/07/2015 12:28:45