Hospice Nurse Shares Clues That Reveal When Someone Will Die

Julie McFadden's experience helping over 100 people die has given her a unique perspective on the dying process.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 11:25pm

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Julie McFadden, a palliative care nurse in Los Angeles, has seen over a hundred people die and shares the signs she can detect that someone only has about 6 months left to live. McFadden says the key indicators are becoming less social, sleeping more, and eating and drinking less. As death approaches, people often start seeing and communicating with deceased loved ones.

Why it matters

Understanding the natural process of dying can help reduce the fear and uncertainty that often surrounds death. McFadden's insights from her hospice work provide valuable education for families and communities dealing with end-of-life care.

The details

According to McFadden, the first signs someone is nearing the end of life start to appear around 6 months before death. These include becoming more introverted, sleeping more, and eating and drinking less. As death approaches in the final month, many people start seeing and communicating with deceased loved ones. McFadden says the most important factors hospice nurses look at are sleeping, eating, and drinking - with most people sleeping more than they are awake and barely eating or drinking in the final weeks.

  • Around 6 months before death, initial symptoms start to appear.
  • Around 3 months before death, increased debility and difficulty getting around are noticed.
  • Around 1 month before death, many people start seeing and communicating with deceased loved ones.

The players

Julie McFadden

A palliative care nurse in the Los Angeles area who has seen over a hundred people die and shares her unique perspective on the dying process.

Angela Morrow

A registered nurse at Verywell Health who agrees that people in the final stage of life often hear from those who have passed before them.

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What they’re saying

“You will have very generalized symptoms. Those symptoms will usually be, one, you will be less social. So you'll be more introverted than extroverted. Two, you will be sleeping a lot more. And three, you will be eating and drinking a lot less. Literally, everyone on hospice, I see this happen to.”

— Julie McFadden, Palliative Care Nurse

“Usually around the one month mark is when people will start seeing 'the unseen', they have the visioning. They'll be seeing dead relatives, dead loved ones, dead pets, old friends who have died. Again, not everyone — but many, many people will start seeing these things at around one month.”

— Julie McFadden, Palliative Care Nurse

“You might feel frustrated because you can't know for sure whether they're hallucinating, having a spiritual experience, or just getting confused. The uncertainty can be unsettling, but it's part of the process.”

— Angela Morrow, Registered Nurse, Verywell Health

The takeaway

Understanding the natural signs and process of dying can help reduce the fear and uncertainty that often surrounds death. Hospice nurses like Julie McFadden play a vital role in providing comfort and guidance to families during this difficult time.