I've heard about bad patients asking to have a BM, and nurses knowing that that was it, we've all heard about the "last turn", but does anyone else smell anything beforehand?
Just wondering if anyone else has experiences like this?
I first noticed it when I was in nursing school, and we were orienting on the floor. We would go in a room with a patient, and I would smell this sicky-sweet odor, and around a week later, the patient would be dead.
It continues to this day. I have smelled Lord knows how many smells, but this one almost defies description. The only way I can compare it to anything is to think of really concentrated Swish and Swallow, that nystatin stuff. I love the way it smells, but this other smell is like S&S overkill.
I finally started piecing it together when I noticed a pattern with the smell and the demise. My instructors never could understand why I would walk into a room to help, and get a weird look on my face. My co-workers later could not understand it, they just knew something was up by the look on my face. It was especially sad when the patient was thought to be improving.
It happened with my FIL. DH knew that SOMETHING happened to me when a person was about to pass, and I had already told him that I was not going to tell him if I sensed anything. The last time I saw FIL was the only time I did not hug him. I would have bawled, and given it away. I regret not hugging him, but not like I would regret giving my MIL and DH 4 days of a deathwatch. Afterward, as we were headed to the funeral home, DH looked at me, all teary, and said "You knew, didn't you? You've been weird since we saw him the last time."
Smelled it with my Grandmother, and squalled for 3 days solid, before there was really anything to squall about.
And I smell it still, with patients I see in the hospital. I hate this. It's as bad as getting that gut feeling to pull the code cart outside the lady's room. There is no more helpless feeling than knowing what is going to happen, and knowing just as well that you're powerless to stop it.
Anyone else gets this, or get an inkling as to the demise of a patient? I've heard about bad patients asking to have a BM, and nurses knowing that that was it, we've all heard about the "last turn", but does anyone else smell anything beforehand?
I work in an LTC. Ironically it's the LTC where my grandfather died. (I know, nice, right? Working every day in the building where my grandfather died.) I had recently lost a job and applied there when he was on hospice.
His last 2 weeks or so before he died I smelled that sickly sweet smell. At first I thought he wasn't clean, which was odd because this facility is really top notch and he had never not been clean.
When he died I realized it was the smell of death.
I have noticed that same smell emanating from other patients rooms too, and whenever I did, not only did it alert me to watch for that Chart on my desk (I'm a receptionist right now.), but it brought back the grief of losing Pappap.
The many mentions of the smell being hard to get rid of are accurate as well. Pappap's blanket still smelled a few months after his death despite multiple washes, and has a twinge of the scent to this day (he passed day after Easter)
what concerns me now is I smell it quite strongly on my grandma. she is using the blanket from Pappap, but the blanket doesn't smell that strong so I know it's not that. I'm just creeped out since I'm the only one watching her right now. She is pretty sick with at least bronchitis, quite possibly pneumonia so that scares me even more.
I believe you that there is a smell. I've not experienced it. However, after seeing a few patients die, I once walked into a room to help a CNA and immediately I thought the patient looked like death. He did die a few days after. There is a look too.
I haven't read the entire thread (yet) but yes, death has a distinctive smell.
Before I forget to mention, no it's not ketones/acetone. I know that smell because one of my daughters is a type 1 diabetic and before she was diagnosed she had large ketones.
Ketones smell like nail lacquer or nail polish remover.
I don't work in nursing or in a hospital. The first time I smelled death was 30 years ago when my grandfather was living at our house suffering from heart failure. He passed around 10 days later iirc. Obviously I was very young and didn't associate the smell with death. It was a sweet, yet a bit musty and kinda mild tobacco smell. It didn't bother me, I just thought it was ''grandpa's smell''. I wondered why it smelled tobacco-ey though since he had quit quite some time before, and I hadn't yet started smoking myself since I was only 11 years old.
What bothered me was that after his demise I kept ''smelling grandpa'' for a couple more weeks, ie that same smell even though he was no longer there. I remember telling my mum about it and she didn't smell anything.
Then it happened again today. And this was got me googling and finding this forum.
30 years later... my mom-in-law has terminal cancer. She was at our house today and she was definitely very unwell, not in pain but unable to eat or drink and nodding off all the time. And I ''smelled grandpa''.
At first I was like what the heck is happening suddenly I discern this very distinctive odor, which is not unpleasant at all, but it's stuck in my nostrils. And it was coming from my mom-in-law. It's not anything to do with hygiene, she's extremely clean and had just showered. It came like a shock, like how come I'm ''smelling grandpa'' and even remembering the distinctive smell which I had never smelled anywhere else? And why on my mom-in-law? And how am I on earth capable of remembering a smell I smelled over 30 years ago?
She's not in the house now, but the smell lingers on everywhere.
NOW, only now, I realize that I'm not really smelling grandpa, and I never had been even 30 years ago. It's scary. My husband left for hospital with her some time ago. He has a really good sense of smell, and didn't mention anything. I don't have a good sense of smell (I'm a cigar-smoker so go figure!). I only smoke out-doors, but as soon as I enter the house the death-smell wins over. I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with the physical way of how the body smells things.
As i smell many times and share with my friends they laugh at me but some time they wondered,
if any one about to die in such area [ locality or specific area ] , i smell uniquely in that area and within same day to 2-3 days, some one die within the area,
the smell like [ when incense stick burn surrounding dead body in India ] . the smell i'm not able to ignore. is it any spiritual power or as natural [ not natural ].
but now, i have not smell like this for last 2 years... may be i lost or what i don't know. i didn't take aware of it ever now.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
The answer is Yes - Death has a smell - I can't actually describe it but I know it when I smell it and I'm nottalking about the passing of intestinal gas or feces either.
No. You are not a freak. I have smelled it too. Many times. Sometimes from people that we knew were close to the end of their life and sometimes from patients that we did not know were close to their end. It reminds me of fruit that is starting to ferment. Sweet but also sort of mouldy. I smelled it from my granduncle too the day before he passed and like you cried the whole night through. I told other family members to call in to him because I was so convinced and he died that night. He had lots of company that night and he was delighted. I think there is a scientific basis to it and that as nurses we should start to look into these experiences more
I am a hospice nurse. To me, it smells like syrupish kinda sweet hazelnut smell. I've always been told it's because the kidneys are shutting down. Most of the nurses I have known can smell it. When i smell it, I usually give a 3 day count down. Sorry for any spelling/punctuation, im on mobile and its not cooperating.
I was with my mother for 2 days before she died and experienced this sweet chemical odour which I could not get out of my nostrils for days. (That was 2 years ago). We are now looking after a cancer patient at home who is recovering and I can smell the same smell. Is it the smell of death or is it a chemical odour from drugs? I just can't get rid of the smell in my nose. It follows me even out to the fresh air. My partner says he can smell it but not as strong as I can. It's getting to the point where I can't be near this patient as it is making me ill. I'm thinking of just putting Vicks up my nose but what worries me is why?? Is he close to death or is it the drugs?
I didn't get to read every page but I was waiting for someone to call this "neuro breath". That what my preceptor called it before I could identify It. The sickly
Sweet smell to me meant someone had brain damage/death and it stayed with them even if they recovered. It's like the damage is irreversible so the smell is too.
BellaBlackwell
21 Posts
I work in an LTC. Ironically it's the LTC where my grandfather died. (I know, nice, right? Working every day in the building where my grandfather died.) I had recently lost a job and applied there when he was on hospice.
His last 2 weeks or so before he died I smelled that sickly sweet smell. At first I thought he wasn't clean, which was odd because this facility is really top notch and he had never not been clean.
When he died I realized it was the smell of death.
I have noticed that same smell emanating from other patients rooms too, and whenever I did, not only did it alert me to watch for that Chart on my desk (I'm a receptionist right now.), but it brought back the grief of losing Pappap.
The many mentions of the smell being hard to get rid of are accurate as well. Pappap's blanket still smelled a few months after his death despite multiple washes, and has a twinge of the scent to this day (he passed day after Easter)
what concerns me now is I smell it quite strongly on my grandma. she is using the blanket from Pappap, but the blanket doesn't smell that strong so I know it's not that. I'm just creeped out since I'm the only one watching her right now. She is pretty sick with at least bronchitis, quite possibly pneumonia so that scares me even more.