End-of-life nurse shares the one movement that could mean someone is close to death
An end-of-life nurse has detailed a specific movement that's commonly seen when someone is close to passing away.
End-of-life care is support for people who are in the last months or years of their life. As per the NHS, it should help them to live as well as possible until they die, and to die with dignity.
The staff providing the care ask about the person's wishes and preferences and take these into account as they work with the person in question to plan their care.
They spend a lot of time with their patients and are often with them in their emotional final moments on Earth.
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Hospice nurse and educator, Katie Duncan, has spoken to VT about one gesture she's noticed end-of-life patients do when that time is near.
She explained that their hands begin reaching upward, as if they're trying to hold a hand or touch something above them.
The hospice nurse said that the movement can sometimes be linked to end-of-life visions, which is where people near death say they can see loved ones who have already died.
Duncan reassured that many patients don't appear distressed during these moments, and the movement instead seems peaceful and calming.
Now, it's of course important to note that not everyone's experience will be the same.
It comes after scientists revealed what they believe people see before they die, following a groundbreaking study.
As humans, it’s natural that we sometimes wonder what’s waiting for us when we pass on - it’s something that philosophers, scientists, and religious figures have questioned for centuries.
From a bright white light to moments from your life flashing before your eyes, to your late loved ones waiting for you, there are many different theories and beliefs that people hold.
While it's impossible to have a concrete answer, scientists have pieced together what they think happens based on the information they have.
A 2022 study conducted by a University of Louisville neurosurgeon, Dr Ajmal Zemmer, found that the brain could actually be ‘playing a last recall of important life events', which isn't too far from the theories.
It came after an 87-year-old man was admitted to the Vancouver General Hospital in Canada after a fall, and was then diagnosed with a subdural haematoma.
After the surgery, he started having seizures, and doctors had to use an electroencephalogram to record them in an attempt to try and identify their cause.
But tragically, during one of the recordings, he went into cardiac arrest and then passed away.
However, scientists saw that in the 30 seconds on either side of his final heartbeat, there was an increase in a certain kind of brainwave.
Zemmer found that ‘just before and after the heart stopped working, there were changes in a specific band of neural oscillations, so-called gamma oscillations, but also in others such as delta, theta, alpha and beta oscillations'.
Gamma oscillations are rhythmic fluctuations in brain activity that happen when you’re doing things like concentrating, dreaming, meditating, memory retrieval, and information processing.
As per Sky News, Dr. Zemmer told ZME Science: "These findings challenge our understanding of when exactly life ends and generate important subsequent questions, such as those related to the timing of organ donation."
He added: "Something we may learn from this research is that, although our loved ones have their eyes closed and are ready to leave us to rest, their brains may be replaying some of the nicest moments they experienced in their lives.”
However, this was just a study on just one person, and it involved a brain that had already been injured due to epilepsy, so there is still plenty more research to be done.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Madison Burgess