Does anyone else's loved one talk about death or constantly say you're gonna die tomorrow or I wish you'd die? My mom says it often.

Yes. My dad has spoken about and wished for it often. It’s understandable, given how disabled he’s become, how much pain he’s in, and how many of his friends/relatives have died. Many times he has thought he’d be dead by noon that day. His big desire is to die, and while we will miss him a ton when he’s gone we will be very happy for him that this trial will be over. We speak openly about this with him and he is in total agreement. We end every visit with prayer that God will take him soon to be with him. My dad told me these prayers comfort him. He always wants us to pray and sometimes he will try to pray too, even though he can hardly speak. I think we just can’t know how difficult it is for someone we love who has lost almost all their normal life functioning and is in terminal decline.

Older people have many years behind them and they know their days ahead are numbered. Some people do become focused on death. I am not sure what you can say to them at this stage. They feel what they feel.

Do you think speaking with clergy or a social worker would help?

If your Mom has dementia I believe you need to understand that it is the disease talking.

My dad didn’t have dementia but often spoke of dying. In his case, he knew he was very ready to go as life had become too hard due to physical limits and medical conditions. I always just tried to say I understood