Why appetite fades near the end of life, why it rarely causes suffering, how to give mouth care, and what evidence says about feeding tubes and IV fluids.

What to say to a dying mother or father: the four things (please forgive me, I forgive you, thank you, I love you), goodbyes, touch, and faraway family.

Who to call when someone dies at home in Michigan, on hospice or not: DNR orders, the medical examiner, death certificates, Social Security and VA benefits.

What terminal restlessness looks like, what causes it, what the hospice nurse checks, how families can help, and when to call. Guidance from Lily Hospice.

Signs death is near, from more sleep and less eating in the last weeks to breathing changes and mottling in the last hours, and how families can help.

Does morphine speed up death? Will they become addicted? Straight answers on morphine in hospice, side effects, the comfort kit and safe disposal in Michigan.

How to handle the holidays when a loved one is on hospice: keep it small, bring it to the bed, plan meds and respite with the nurse, and what matters most.

Irregular breathing, pauses, Cheyne-Stokes and the death rattle: what they mean, whether they hurt, what helps, oxygen's role, and when to call hospice.

Anticipatory grief is grief before a death. Signs, guilt, caregiver exhaustion, how to cope, and local grief support in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.

Lily Hospice, the family-owned Medicare-certified hospice based in Troy, Michigan, has joined the Troy Chamber of Commerce.