"The placement of the bed in a dying person's room may also satisfy cultural or religious imperatives. For example, some Jews believe that the person's feet — and therefore the foot of the bed — should point to the door of the room. Muslims believe that the person should face Mecca, which in the northeast part of the US means facing southeast but mostly east. Some people position the bed in a direction that is personally significant; for example, toward the location of their birth or toward a favorite part of the world.
"This symbolic gesture, along with others, can build a cumulative sense of sacredness in the room. Sometimes the dying person's bed is moved into the center of a room so that people can get all around it to hold hands in a ritual conducted each morning or evening of a vigil or right after the last breath.
"Another consideration regarding the room is its overall appearance. Some people need the space uncluttered, making it feel more 'Zen-like'; others want to move collectibles, artwork, plants — the things they love — into the room, because they appreciate the fullness of having all of that stuff around them."
