International and domestic healthexperts gathered for a two-day conference in Hanoi to discuss practicalway to improve health care services for elderly citizens at areasonable cost.
According to medical experts, thereare more than seven million elderly people in Vietnam, which accountsfor ten percent of the population. The nation will become an ageingpopulation in the next couples of years.
This scenario poses big chalenges for the country’s socio-economicenvironment. The elderly will be in need of health care, but the costof medical care for older citizens is on average seven times higherthan for young people.
Doctor Pham Thang from the National Institute of Gerontology saidcancer, Parkinsons, Alzheimers and bone and heart disorders are commondiseases among the elderly.
“Elderly people have been known to suffer from several diseasessimultaneously. If a disorder goes unnoticed or is misdiagnosed, it islikely that treatment costs will increase, while the quality of thepatient’s life decreases,” he said.
The Research Centre for Support of the Elderly’s director Nguyen NgocTrai said home healthcare services could provide elderly residents withspecial assistance at reasonable prices.
Currently, the centre has trained more than 800 staff and provides theservices for more than 6,000 sick elderly residents in 11 cities andprovinces. A network of more than 2,000 volunteers has been establishedin 110 communes to support 3,000 elderly residents. “The model issuitable for elderly Vietnamese who wish to be treated with theirrelatives close by. The most important thing, I think, is that themodel can reduce much of their treatment costs,” Trai said.
Representatives agreed that this model would create favorableconditions for health care development. They also noted that healthworkers should be provided with incentives.
They suggested that curriculum about home healthcare for the agedshould be taught at health institutions and universities in order tospread the model.
The conference, organised by the National Institute of Gerontology and the Elderly Association, ended on November 17./.
According to medical experts, thereare more than seven million elderly people in Vietnam, which accountsfor ten percent of the population. The nation will become an ageingpopulation in the next couples of years.
This scenario poses big chalenges for the country’s socio-economicenvironment. The elderly will be in need of health care, but the costof medical care for older citizens is on average seven times higherthan for young people.
Doctor Pham Thang from the National Institute of Gerontology saidcancer, Parkinsons, Alzheimers and bone and heart disorders are commondiseases among the elderly.
“Elderly people have been known to suffer from several diseasessimultaneously. If a disorder goes unnoticed or is misdiagnosed, it islikely that treatment costs will increase, while the quality of thepatient’s life decreases,” he said.
The Research Centre for Support of the Elderly’s director Nguyen NgocTrai said home healthcare services could provide elderly residents withspecial assistance at reasonable prices.
Currently, the centre has trained more than 800 staff and provides theservices for more than 6,000 sick elderly residents in 11 cities andprovinces. A network of more than 2,000 volunteers has been establishedin 110 communes to support 3,000 elderly residents. “The model issuitable for elderly Vietnamese who wish to be treated with theirrelatives close by. The most important thing, I think, is that themodel can reduce much of their treatment costs,” Trai said.
Representatives agreed that this model would create favorableconditions for health care development. They also noted that healthworkers should be provided with incentives.
They suggested that curriculum about home healthcare for the agedshould be taught at health institutions and universities in order tospread the model.
The conference, organised by the National Institute of Gerontology and the Elderly Association, ended on November 17./.
