The burden of health care for the elderly is 7-10 times that of young people.

SGGPO 10/11/2023 18:59

Currently, the capacity to provide healthcare services for the elderly in our country is still limited, lacking medical facilities, nursing home systems, and human resources to care for the elderly.

On November 10th, at the 4th National Geriatrics Conference held in Hanoi , Mr. Nguyen Trung Anh, Director of the Central Geriatrics Hospital and President of the Vietnam Geriatrics Association, stated that currently, the capacity to provide medical services for the elderly in Vietnam is still limited, lacking medical facilities and human resources to care for the elderly (doctors, geriatric nurses, and caregivers).

Furthermore, the nursing home and social welfare center system is limited in both quantity and quality. Meanwhile, the average elderly person suffers from up to 7 chronic diseases, resulting in medical costs and care burdens 7-10 times greater than those of younger people. The average income of the elderly is only about 538,000 VND/month, mainly from social welfare and pensions, and only 62.79% of the elderly have health insurance.

The provision of healthcare and elderly care services in our country still has many limitations.

In light of this situation, Mr. Nguyen Trung Anh proposed the need to establish geriatrics departments at medical universities, strengthen geriatrics training for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals; train personnel for elderly care; and promote international cooperation in geriatrics training. Simultaneously, he suggested developing a long-term care system for the elderly through the development of nursing homes, especially those with medical care, and diversifying support services for elderly people living at home.

According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam officially entered the aging population phase in 2011 and is one of the 10 countries with the fastest aging population in the world . In 2021, the country had 12.5 million elderly people (accounting for 12.8% of the population). It is estimated that by 2038, Vietnam will transition to an aging population phase with the proportion of elderly people accounting for over 20% of the population.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ganh-nang-cham-soc-y-te-nguoi-cao-tuoi-gap-tu-7-10-lan-nguoi-tre-post713599.html