End-of-life nurse reveals what people do as death approaches

 

Working in end-of-life care can be punctuated by moments of profound sadness, but also by moments of quiet wonder. A palliative care nurse shared an experience she has witnessed repeatedly in her work with the dying: a simple yet mysterious gesture that many patients make just before dying.

Katie Duncan, a nurse practitioner and palliative care coach in Maryland, has spent years helping people find peace and dignity at the end of their lives. Drawing on her experience in intensive care units, home hospices, and long-term care facilities, she has observed a phenomenon that she finds both inexplicable and deeply moving.

The enigmatic gesture observed by dying patients

In a recent TikTok video, Katie describes what she calls one of the “mystical” aspects of the dying process: Many patients begin to reach upward with their arms, as if trying to grasp something invisible above them.

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“In my experience, this is very common,” she says in the video. “You’ll literally see someone reaching up, like they’re trying to hold someone’s hand or touch something in the air.”

Reassuring visions before the last breath

Sometimes this gesture is accompanied by what are called end-of-life visions. “People often say they see someone, a loved one, a pet, even an angel or a bright light,” Katie explains. “Other times, they don’t speak at all, but reach out, as if they sense a presence.”

Although there is no scientific explanation for this phenomenon, many palliative care professionals consider it a peaceful part of the transition. It’s important to note, Katie says, that patients don’t usually appear distressed when this happens. “On the contrary, they seem comforted,” she says. “These visions, regardless of their origin, often bring people a profound sense of calm.”

She added: “It’s one of the most mysterious aspects of death that we are fortunate to witness as caregivers. It’s humbling.

 

 

Katie’s video struck a chord online, with many commenters sharing their own memories.

“My father raised both arms,” ​​one wrote. “Before that, he couldn’t lift them at all.”

Another comments: “It’s the in-between: “It’s the in-between. What a privilege to witness it.”

Others echoed this sentiment: “This is paradise they are trying to reach,” wrote one. “I didn’t want to disturb it, it was sacred,” said another.

For many families and caregivers, these gestures are a quiet reassurance that their loved one is at peace, gently guided by something, or someone, just out of sight.