As of July 2025, the city has 418,632 elderly people, accounting for 13.65% of the population. The average life expectancy is estimated at 75.5 years (old Da Nang is about 76.3 years). This is a higher aging rate than the national average, putting great pressure on the health system and social security network.
Combination of care and treatment
In October 2025, Da Nang Rehabilitation Hospital launched the model of "Daytime care unit for the elderly". Doctor Nguyen Van Dung - Director of the hospital said that this is a model that combines examination, treatment, rehabilitation and comprehensive care. Da Nang Rehabilitation Hospital is also a pioneering medical facility in establishing a specialized medical model for the elderly.
Accordingly, the elderly come to the hospital for examination and treatment during the day and return home at night. Mr. Phan Van Hoa, a resident of Cam Le ward, said that when he came here, he not only participated in training programs to support musculoskeletal conditions, but also received nutritional advice and shared experiences with peers through daytime activities.
According to a survey by the Da Nang City Population Department, up to 77.1% of the elderly in the area expect to be given the opportunity to participate in the daytime health care model. However, the difference in health care quality between regions makes the health care needs of the elderly not as expected. In localities far from urban centers, the majority of the elderly only rely on health centers or health stations when they are sick.
On average, Ms. Cao Thi Hai (Nong Son commune) has to go to the hospital once a month. Many days she has to wait a long time, and it is difficult to travel, so she is afraid of the road, but if she does not go, her illness will get worse. Most elderly people in the western localities of Da Nang often visit the Northern Mountainous General Hospital of Quang Nam or major medical facilities in the center of Da Nang city.
Dementia in the elderly also puts a lot of pressure on health care. At Da Nang Mental Hospital, on average, 60 to more than 100 elderly people come for examination every day. Common diseases are insomnia, anxiety disorders, depression, memory disorders, Alzheimer's, post-stroke dementia, Parkinson's...
From June 2025, Da Nang Mental Hospital will put into operation the Elderly Mental Health Clinic. Accordingly, doctors and nurses here combine drug treatment and psychological therapy, organize geriatric knowledge communication activities so that the elderly and their relatives can quickly recognize signs of illness for early intervention and treatment.
Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo on a number of breakthrough solutions in protecting, caring for and improving people's health sets out requirements related to elderly care, which are: Developing elderly care facilities; Continuing to improve the rehabilitation service system; effectively combining medical facilities and elderly care facilities; and at the same time requiring "each province and centrally-run city to have a geriatric hospital or a general hospital with a geriatric department".
Ecosystem creation
Mr. Cao Van Trong - Deputy Director of Quang Nam Traditional Medicine Hospital said that currently, most of the elderly suffer from two to three chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular, blood pressure, diabetes and osteoarthritis. At Quang Nam Traditional Medicine Hospital, the hospital aims to implement combined treatment between Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation in each clinical department to improve the quality of treatment of neurological, musculoskeletal and geriatric diseases. In particular, the hospital has set out to build a Rehabilitation Department in a multidisciplinary direction, focusing on the elderly.
Da Nang is recognized as a locality that has implemented many models of elderly care as well as paid attention to elderly care activities. Accordingly, the city supports 100% of health insurance contributions for people aged 60-75 from near-poor households and households with average living standards; the rate of elderly people with health insurance cards in many localities reaches over 90%. In addition, intergenerational self-help clubs, health care groups and cultural and social activities for the elderly have been gradually expanded, creating cohesion and spiritual support for the elderly.
Recently, the Ministry of Health organized a workshop on “Developing the Geriatrics Specialty - Geriatrics Forum from Research to Clinical Practice”, attracting the participation of most major hospitals across the country. At this workshop, experts commented that Vietnam has shifted from an acute, infectious disease model to a chronic, multi-morbidity model with the elderly at the center of this transition.
Accordingly, the elderly not only carry a burden of disease, but are also a population group that requires more sophisticated, humane and scientific care methods. From comprehensive rehabilitation care, nutritional and psychological support, functional and risk management, to the need to improve quality of life for the rest of their lives.
From a practical perspective, many experts believe that Da Nang needs to move towards sustainable solutions, with the expansion of home care - grassroots level; increasing mobile medical teams, bringing screening and chronic disease monitoring services to residential areas, especially for the elderly living alone. In addition, it is required to develop a rehabilitation network with reasonable costs, because this is a constant need of the elderly but there are few facilities to meet it, especially in suburban areas.
Da Nang possesses many advantages to become a leading locality in the country in elderly care with the diversity of public and private health systems. However, narrowing the gap in health access between regions and putting the elderly at the center of social security strategies continue to be tasks that need stronger attention.
Source: https://baodanang.vn/cung-cham-lo-nguoi-cao-tuoi-3311934.html
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