Preference of the Place of Death Among People of Pune

Aim: Provision of end-of-life care requires that we have adequate information about the preferred place of death in the population. Since no such study is reported in India, this study was taken up in and around Pune, a large cosmopolitan city. Setting and Design: A questionnaire was designed in three parts and distributed among the people above the age of 18 in and around Pune. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire had three parts the first being a consent form, followed by one for collection of personal information and lastly questions specific to the subject matter. Filled forms were screened for inconsistencies, gaps of information and errors. Results: The population survey was mixed, both urban and rural, men and women, educated and uneducated, young and old. Despite this heterogeneity, the results were consistent to the point that most of the people surveyed preferred home as the place of death. This preference cuts across all barriers, the only difference being that women had a stronger preference for home death compared to men. Conclusions: Helping people to die at their preferred place is a part of end-of-life care. Majority of people surveyed by us, prefer to die at home, where they are relatively more comfortable. Public and governmental policies should be directed toward facilitating home deaths.