Aust, NZ some of the best places to die

(dpa) - An elderly woman is thanking a nurse for her help in an old-age home in Berlin, 17 February 2003. About 660,000 (5.3 percent) of Germans over 64 years of age are presently living in homes. 442,000 of them belong to the 'eighty plus' age group. The number of older people in Germany will rise from 16.9 million today to 26.4 million in 2030. Their proportion of society will increase from 20 to 36 percent. The need of care rises sharply above 80 years of age. One third of over 85-year-olds in Germany is dependent on help. Qualified staff is short. The demographic trend and changes in society create an increased demand for professional care and greater interest in the needs of older people. Thanks to progress getting older has become easier but so has not being old. Photo by: Siewert Falko/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Australia and New Zealand have been ranked behind Britain as the best places in world to die, according to an index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The 2015 Quality of Death Index, which measures palliative and end-of-life care, found that Australia and New Zealand ranked highest in the Asia-Pacific region, clinching second and third place overall.

The EIU noted that top ranked countries tended to be richer, and that income levels were a “a strong indicator of the availability and quality of palliative care.”

It said countries such as China would be vulnerable to pressure on the health care system from rapidly ageing populations and an increase in incidences of conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

“Since the first Quality of Death Index was published, this issue has certainly risen up the global agenda,” editor David Line said.

“Much more can be done, even in countries that rank highly in the index. It is an issue that will affect us all – a good quality of death should be regarded as a human right.”

The 2015 Quality of Death Index was commissioned by the Singaporean Lien Foundation charity, and is an update on research first released in 2010 on 40 countries.

The index now evaluates 80 countries, examining the palliative and health care environment, to the affordability and quality of care, as well as the level of community engagement.

THE TOP 10 COUNTRIES

  1. Britain
  2. Australia
  3. New Zealand
  4. Ireland
  5. Belgium
  6. Taiwan
  7. Germany
  8. The Netherlands
  9. United States
  10. France

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