Often before death people fall into an unconscious or coma-like state and become completely unresponsive. It is a very deep state of unconsciousness in which the person cannot be excited, cannot open their eyes, and cannot communicate or respond to touch.
The goal of your hospice team is to help you prepare for things that may happen near the time your loved one dies. We can never predict exactly when a sick person will die. But we know when the time is near by a combination of signs and symptoms.