Medical Disclaimer

Last updated November 10, 2026

An independent guide for families, compiled from cited published sources. Not written or reviewed by a healthcare professional, and not a substitute for your hospice team.

General information only

The Hours Ahead, The Bedside Pages, Signs to Watch For and Who to Call, and this website offer general information for families in the United States. They are not medical, nursing, or legal advice, and using them does not create any relationship with a healthcare provider.

They were not written or reviewed by a nurse, doctor, or other healthcare professional. They are based on published sources, which are cited, and they are not affiliated with or endorsed by any of those sources.

Your hospice team comes first

Use these materials alongside your hospice team, never instead of them. If anything here differs from what your team has told you, follow your team and ask them about the difference.

No medication doses

These materials give no medication doses. Your team sets those. Do not change, stop, or start a medicine because of anything you read here.

No predictions

The signs described can't tell you when death will come, and not everyone shows them. Figures from studies describe groups of people, not one person. No one can promise how a death will go, and these materials don't.

State rules

DNR orders, POLST forms, advance directives, who can pronounce a death, and how a body may be moved all vary by state. Ask your hospice team, your state, or an attorney about your situation.

If you are in crisis

If you are thinking about hurting yourself, or you are worried about someone else, call or text 988. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and open 24 hours a day, every day.