Every journey is different
The changes described here are common, but they are not a schedule. Your loved one will move through this time in their own way, and that's exactly as it should be.
Understanding the time ahead
When someone you love is nearing the end of life, it helps to know what is coming — gently, and only as much as you're ready for. This page walks through the changes you may see, what you can do, and who is beside you. Every journey is different, and you never have to face a moment of it alone: our team answers 24/7 at 772-403-4500.
Finding your way through this page
This is a long read, and you don't have to take it all in at once — start wherever you need to be right now.
A gentle place to start
Every journey is different — and no one walks it alone
No two people come to the end of life the same way. Some of what's described on this page may happen for your loved one; some of it may not, or may come in a different order. That's normal. The body knows how to do this, and it tends to do it gently, in its own time.
You don't need to know what to do. That is our work — keeping your loved one comfortable, and keeping you steady — so that yours can simply be to love them. If anything on this page raises a question, or if it's 3 a.m. and something feels wrong, call us. A real person answers, any hour, any question.
Comfort is always the goal
Whatever changes come, there is always something we can do to ease them. Your loved one does not have to be in pain, and neither do you have to watch helplessly.
We answer around the clock
Day or night, weekday or holiday, a real person picks up at 772-403-4500. If something worries you, that is reason enough to call.
What you may see
The natural changes of the final months, days, and hours
The changes below are the body's gentle, natural way of slowing down — not medical emergencies, and not signs that anything is being done wrong. Read only as far as you're ready to; this page will be here when you need the rest.
In the final months and weeksMonths to weeks
What you may notice
- Your loved one sleeps more — hours that once held visits and conversation are given over to rest.
- Appetite and thirst fade. The body no longer needs food to feel comfortable; this is not starving, and refusing meals does not cause suffering.
- They may withdraw — from activities first, then sometimes even from the people they love most. It is a turning inward, not a turning away from you.
- Many people begin reviewing their life: telling old stories, asking to see certain people, settling things in their own way.
What you can do
- Don't force food or drink — pressing them to eat can cause distress rather than comfort.
- Offer small sips, ice chips, or a favorite taste when they want it, and let that be enough.
- Let them sleep. Sit nearby; your quiet company matters even when they're resting.
- Listen to the stories. Ask about the old photographs. This remembering is part of the work of this time.
- Call us any hour if something changes or worries you.
In the final daysDays
What you may notice
- Hands, arms, and feet may feel cool to the touch and can look mottled — blotchy and purplish — as circulation slows. This usually doesn't mean your loved one feels cold.
- There may be more confusion, or spells of restlessness — picking at the sheets, wanting to get up.
- They may speak of taking a trip, "going home," or seeing people who aren't in the room. This is common near the end of life, and it often seems to bring peace rather than fear.
What you can do
- Keep light blankets nearby rather than heavy ones — warmth without weight.
- Answer confusion with a calm voice and a gentle touch instead of correction. You don't need to argue them back to the present.
- Dim the lights, play soft music, keep the room peaceful.
- If they speak of journeys or of people you can't see, you can simply listen. There's no need to explain it away.
- Call us — restlessness and confusion can almost always be eased, any hour.
In the final hoursHours
What you may notice
- Breathing becomes irregular — long pauses, then a run of quick breaths. Your nurse may call this Cheyne-Stokes breathing. It looks alarming, but it is a natural rhythm at the very end and is not distressing to your loved one.
- You may hear a soft rattling sound as saliva pools in the throat. It is hard to listen to, but it is not choking and it does not cause pain.
- Your loved one will likely be mostly unresponsive, and their eyes may not fully close.
- Hearing is believed to be the last sense to fade. Even when they can no longer answer, your voice still reaches them.
What you can do
- Keep speaking softly. Say what matters — they can likely still hear you.
- Hold their hand. Being there is the whole of what's needed now.
- For the rattling sound, gently turn their head to one side or raise the head of the bed — your nurse can show you how.
- Ease dry lips and mouth with lip balm and soft mouth swabs.
- Call us at any hour. A nurse can come, and you do not have to sit through this night alone.
Every person is different, and no list can tell you exactly what your loved one's journey will look like. Your hospice nurse is your best guide — call us any hour at 772-403-4500.
The team beside you
You are not doing this alone
Around you and your loved one stands a whole team — nurses, aides, social workers, and chaplains, each carrying a different part of this with you. And if your loved one is a veteran, we match them with veteran volunteers who understand what their service meant. Whoever you need, whenever you need them, it starts with one call: 772-403-4500, answered any hour.
Nurses
Your nurse manages pain and symptoms, explains each change as it comes, and is the person who answers when you call in the middle of the night.
Aides
Hospice aides carry the tender, physical work — bathing, grooming, keeping your loved one clean and comfortable — with gentleness and dignity.
Social workers
Social workers help with the practical weight of this time — paperwork, family decisions, what comes next — so it doesn't all rest on you.
Chaplains
Our chaplains offer spiritual care in whatever form fits your family — any faith, or none — and are simply present when words run out.
When the time comes
When death comes at home
If your loved one dies at home on hospice care, the first thing to know is this: there is no emergency, and you do not need to call 911. Nothing has to happen quickly — take all the time you need.
Take your time
Stay at the bedside. Hold their hand, say goodbye, sit in the quiet. There is no rush, and no one will hurry you.
Call us, not 911
When you are ready — and only then — call us at 772-403-4500. A nurse will come to you, whatever the hour.
Let the nurse help
Your nurse will pronounce the death, handle the paperwork, and notify the physician. You don't need to manage any of it.
Reaching the funeral home
When the moment is right, we'll help you make the call to the funeral home and stay with you while arrangements begin.
Grief & bereavement
The journey doesn't end at goodbye
Our care for your family continues for at least thirteen months after your loved one's death — through the first holidays, the first anniversary, and beyond. You are still part of this community, and grief support is here for every member of your family.
13 months of bereavement support
Individual counseling when you need one steady voice, and support groups when it helps to sit with others who understand. For at least thirteen months, at your own pace.
Explore grief supportCamp Good Grief
An overnight weekend camp where grieving kids and teens ages 8–18 play, connect, and meet peers who truly get it — because grief is lighter when you're not the only one carrying it.
Learn about Camp Good GriefChildren's grief support
Children grieve differently than adults — in bursts, through play, with questions that surface weeks later. Our counselors meet them where they are, in ways that make sense at their age.
Support for children
Whatever tonight looks like, we're awake with you
If something on this page raised a question — or if you just need to hear a calm voice — someone at Treasure Coast Hospice is awake and ready to help. Call us, any hour, any question.