A Worn Path- Is the Grandma really dead?

"But she was slowly bending forward by that time, further and further down, the lids stretched over her eyes" (227, per. 50)

One could assume that the grand mother is dead because of the dream like diction of the story. From the time that she meets the farmer, the details becomes paced out. For example, the farmer says that she had a too far to go to town, from the place of their meeting. However, after this meeting, it seems that she is immediately there. This seems like she just appears in town, with out a further struggle. Perhaps, this is where she died and she is bound to finish her task and get medicine for her grandchild. Maybe the farmer actually did shoot her, and that is why she felt so different after her encounter. As far as proof that she was in fact alive through out that story, the only proof would be that their are people that talk to her and see her.