Charlotte Foster
Caring

Hospice nurse reveals people's last words before they die

A hospice nurse has revealed the number one thing people say in their final moments before they die. 

Healthcare expert Julie McFadden, who makes online videos discussing death to help break the taboo around dying, has shared the three most common regrets patients share on their death beds. 

Speaking to NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan on his podcast, Julie said these final discussions tend to centre around what they've taken for granted. 

"The first one I hear all the time is that they regret not appreciating their health while they had it," Ms McFadden said, reflecting on her 15 years of working in the health sector. 

"That's the number one thing people say to me, I wish I would have understood how amazing it is to have a working body."

The second regret she often hears is people admitting they "worked too much" and wish they hadn't worked their life away, and rather spent time doing things that brought them joy. 

Finally, she revealed in the clip shared to Instagram, that many dying patients have regrets about relationships. 

The nurse explained people either wish they had maintained certain relationships and friendships, or regret holding grudges.

Dr Rajan responded to Ms McFadden's insight with a story of a young patient that made him realise we are not 'immortal' and we should not take our life "for granted". 

In the clip shared with his 1.5million followers he said, "A few years ago when I saw a young woman come in with pancreatitis in her 20s, within three hours this young woman is in the intensive care unit, she's intubated, ventilated, and the next day, she had passed away."

"That just made me think wow, I'm in my 30s now, I'm 34, life can just go in a flash. So yes, truly don't take it for granted, we sometimes have this tendency to walk around like we're immortal."

Image credits: YouTube

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caring, hospice, nurse, death