Vietnam needs to develop nursing home model
Nguyen Thị M (not her real name) made the difficult decision to take her mother to a Hanoi nursing home five months ago.
Illustrative image (Source: hanoimoi) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Nguyen Thị M (not her real name) made the
difficult decision to take her mother to a Hanoi nursing home five months
ago.
She suffered a stroke a few years ago and can’t walk. To make matters worse, M’s husband is also sick, so she can’t take care of her mother.
M’s mother is one of an increasing number of retirees in Vietnam spending their final years in nursing homes, but there are concerns the country doesn’t have enough cheap nursing homes to meet demand.
"We can’t stay at home to look after her or rely on house workers to take care of her, so the nursing home is our best choice,” M told Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) newspaper.
Similarly, Nguyen Trung Van from Hoang Mai district, took his father to a local nursing home about two years ago.
He said, at first, many people in his family and neighbours opposed the decision, but he was afraid of leaving his father home alone.
"I think taking a parent to a nursing home to get good care and joyfulness is good. It does not mean I lack responsibility for my parent. People should not be prejudiced against nursing homes and should be more open-minded,” Van said.
In Vietnam, the concept of filial piety, or taking care of one’s parents, is taken very seriously. Many think those who send their parents to nursing homes are selfish and have forgotten those who loved and nurtured them as a child.
In many families, a married couple has to live with one partner’s parents.
Dien Hong, a nursing home in Ha Dong district takes care of about 70 elderly people.
Due to increasing demand, the centre opened another location in July, said Hoang Thi Thu Ngan, deputy director of the home.
According to Ngan, there are three old groups of old people who need nursing homes.
The first is the elderly with children settled abroad or work away.
The second group includes people who still live with their family but want to live in a home to spend time with people of the same age.
Finally, the elderly with chronic illness, weak health and in need of constant support also need nursing home care.
The demand for nursing homes or elderly care centres is increasing but it is not easy to operate a centre effectively, according to Ngan.
In addition to the large investment, nursing homes face difficulties in human resources.
Each elderly person usually has at least one or two chronic illnesses, so the work of a nurse is very hard and finding qualified candidates is a challenge.
Luu Thi Huong, head of the Elderly Care Department of the Vietnam Central Elderly Association, said that in modern society, the elderly could easily feel lonely. "As a result, more and more people want to live in nursing homes to improve the quality of life in their later years."
There are more than 400 nursing homes across the country, half of which receive support from the Government, with the other half privately-owned.
There are three State-supported nursing homes in Hanoi but all lack rehabilitation equipment, proper infrastructure and human resources, with one care worker per 10 elderly.
Private nursing homes can provide good services but not many people can access these facilities due to high fees, from 6 to 9 million VND (260 to 391 USD) per month.
Huong said that the Government should help tackle these problems.
Ta Quang Huy, Director of the Hanoi Population and Family Planning Department, said it is necessary to study elderly care by day, which many countries have implemented.
With this model, elderly people go to a nursing home in the day and go home for dinner with their family. They still live with their children, but at the same time, they do not feel lonely when their family’s members go to work and school.
At the nursing home, they have friends to talk to and nurses to take care of them and can join activities good for their mental and physical health, according to Huy.
Vietnam’s population officially entered the aging phase since 2011 and now has more than 11 million elderly people (about 11 percent of the total population).
It is estimated that the number of elderly people will account for 17 percent of the population by 2030 and a quarter by 2050, the newspaper reports.-VNS/VNA
She suffered a stroke a few years ago and can’t walk. To make matters worse, M’s husband is also sick, so she can’t take care of her mother.
M’s mother is one of an increasing number of retirees in Vietnam spending their final years in nursing homes, but there are concerns the country doesn’t have enough cheap nursing homes to meet demand.
"We can’t stay at home to look after her or rely on house workers to take care of her, so the nursing home is our best choice,” M told Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) newspaper.
Similarly, Nguyen Trung Van from Hoang Mai district, took his father to a local nursing home about two years ago.
He said, at first, many people in his family and neighbours opposed the decision, but he was afraid of leaving his father home alone.
"I think taking a parent to a nursing home to get good care and joyfulness is good. It does not mean I lack responsibility for my parent. People should not be prejudiced against nursing homes and should be more open-minded,” Van said.
In Vietnam, the concept of filial piety, or taking care of one’s parents, is taken very seriously. Many think those who send their parents to nursing homes are selfish and have forgotten those who loved and nurtured them as a child.
In many families, a married couple has to live with one partner’s parents.
Dien Hong, a nursing home in Ha Dong district takes care of about 70 elderly people.
Due to increasing demand, the centre opened another location in July, said Hoang Thi Thu Ngan, deputy director of the home.
According to Ngan, there are three old groups of old people who need nursing homes.
The first is the elderly with children settled abroad or work away.
The second group includes people who still live with their family but want to live in a home to spend time with people of the same age.
Finally, the elderly with chronic illness, weak health and in need of constant support also need nursing home care.
The demand for nursing homes or elderly care centres is increasing but it is not easy to operate a centre effectively, according to Ngan.
In addition to the large investment, nursing homes face difficulties in human resources.
Each elderly person usually has at least one or two chronic illnesses, so the work of a nurse is very hard and finding qualified candidates is a challenge.
Luu Thi Huong, head of the Elderly Care Department of the Vietnam Central Elderly Association, said that in modern society, the elderly could easily feel lonely. "As a result, more and more people want to live in nursing homes to improve the quality of life in their later years."
There are more than 400 nursing homes across the country, half of which receive support from the Government, with the other half privately-owned.
There are three State-supported nursing homes in Hanoi but all lack rehabilitation equipment, proper infrastructure and human resources, with one care worker per 10 elderly.
Private nursing homes can provide good services but not many people can access these facilities due to high fees, from 6 to 9 million VND (260 to 391 USD) per month.
Huong said that the Government should help tackle these problems.
Ta Quang Huy, Director of the Hanoi Population and Family Planning Department, said it is necessary to study elderly care by day, which many countries have implemented.
With this model, elderly people go to a nursing home in the day and go home for dinner with their family. They still live with their children, but at the same time, they do not feel lonely when their family’s members go to work and school.
At the nursing home, they have friends to talk to and nurses to take care of them and can join activities good for their mental and physical health, according to Huy.
Vietnam’s population officially entered the aging phase since 2011 and now has more than 11 million elderly people (about 11 percent of the total population).
It is estimated that the number of elderly people will account for 17 percent of the population by 2030 and a quarter by 2050, the newspaper reports.-VNS/VNA
You should also see
Hanoi ceremony celebrates 70th anniversary of Geneva Agreement
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony in Hanoi on April 25 to mark 70 years since the signing of the Geneva Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam - an important milestone in the struggle for national liberation of the Vietnamese people and a great victory of the Vietnamese diplomatic sector.
See more
Society
VNA celebrates journalistic excellence at 2023 Press Award ceremony
The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) held its annual 2023 Press Award ceremony at its Hanoi headquarters on April 25.
Society
Women's Union enhances connection with Vietnamese women abroad
A delegation from the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) led by its permanent Vice President Do Thi Thu Thao held a working session with the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations headquarters in New York during a recent working trip to the US.
Society
Vessels in Ha Long Carnival to perform, not to serve tourists: Authority
The Quang Ninh provincial Department of Transport has asked the administration of Ha Long city not to license the tourist vessels performing at the Ha Long Carnival 2024 to serve tourists during the programme due to safety concerns.
Society
Millions of children in Vietnam protected by vaccination over 40 years: UN agencies
Millions of children in Vietnam have been protected by immunisation over the past 40 years, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF offices in Vietnam on April 25 when they mark the World Immunisation Week from April 24-30.
Society
InfographicVietnam tops Asia-Pacific in workplace wellness
Workplace well-being is on an "upward trajectory" throughout Asia-Pacific, with Vietnam leading the region (65.09), according to a recent study by Asia's largest mental health care company Intellect.
