Hospice workers spend their careers beside people during some of the most intimate and difficult hours imaginable.

They comfort patients whose lives are coming to an end, reassure frightened relatives, manage  pain and symptoms, and sometimes simply sit quietly beside someone who should not have to be alone.

After witnessing those final moments again and again, some hospice professionals say they begin noticing certain patterns…. Continue Reading

Hospice worker Neal K. Shah says there is one deeply emotional word caregivers sometimes hear from people nearing the end of life: “Mum.” As the body begins shutting down, patients may sleep more, lose their appetite, experience changes in breathing, or become less responsive. Some may also appear to speak to or see people who are no longer physically present.

Shah says he has witnessed elderly patients, even those in their 80s or 90s whose mothers died decades earlier, calling for their mothers again. Research into end-of-life dreams and visions has also documented experiences involving deceased loved ones, which some patients describe as comforting. However, researchers cannot say that everyone experiences these visions or that there is one definite scientific explanation for them.

Shah believes these moments may reflect the deep emotional connection people have with the person who first made them feel safe and protected. Still, he stresses that this is an interpretation rather than established scientific fact. End-of-life experiences can be influenced by illness, medications, changes in the brain and body, memories, sleep, and psychological or spiritual factors.

For families at the bedside, Shah advises responding with compassion rather than immediately correcting the person. If someone peacefully says their mother is with them, arguing that she died years ago may cause unnecessary distress. Instead, relatives can offer reassurance, hold their hand, speak gently, and remain close. Every person’s experience is different, but sometimes the most meaningful thing a family member can provide is simply the comfort of being there.