Improve the quality of health care for the elderly and people with disabilities

Home health care

After their shift, three doctors and nurses from Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital went to the house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Day (95 years old, Residential Group 8, Ninh Hiep Ward) to check her health. Here, Mrs. Day had her blood pressure checked, blood oxygen level measured, blood sugar level measured, etc. The doctors and nurses also informed her family about her health condition and gave instructions on how to care for the elderly, especially in cases of low blood sugar like Mrs. Day.

Doctors and nurses from Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital examined Ms. Nguyen Thi Day's health at home.

Also examined at home, Mrs. Ngo Thi Em (85 years old, Ninh Hiep ward) emotionally shared: “My family is short of people, my children work all day. I am old, have many diseases, have sore legs, and have difficulty walking, so I have not been to the hospital for three or four years. Now that the doctor has come to my house, I am very happy.” After measuring her blood pressure and taking blood for testing, the doctors also advised and instructed her on how to use the right medicine for each disease.

Doctor Nguyen Le Thanh Tung - working at the Department of Intensive Care - Anti-Poison, Secretary of the Youth Union of Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital said: The project was assigned by the Hospital Board of Directors to the Youth Union to implement, with the coordination and support of the entire hospital. After receiving the task, 25 doctors and nurses who are members of the Youth Union were divided into groups to visit each household with elderly people to examine their health at home. After two months of implementation, 120 lonely elderly people were examined. After the examination, the medical team handed over the patient's information to the local health station for health monitoring and management. Severe and lonely cases will be listed for periodic monitoring. “When we went to the homes to examine, we discovered many cases with very difficult circumstances. Many elderly people had many diseases but due to limited conditions, they could not go to medical facilities. There was a case of two elderly sisters who depended on each other and had not had health insurance cards for many years... We coordinated with the hospital's Social Work Team and local authorities to provide practical support. The project not only helps the elderly access medical services, but also helps young doctors like us have the opportunity to practice medical ethics, when directly witnessing difficult circumstances,” Dr. Tung shared.

High sense of community and humanity

Dr. Le Quang Lenh - Director of Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital said: In Vietnam in general and Ninh Hoa town in particular, people with disabilities and lonely elderly people often face many barriers in accessing health services, especially screening for chronic non-communicable diseases and home health care. Limited mobility, economic conditions and health awareness make them less likely to effectively use their health insurance cards, leading to increased risk of illness and reduced quality of life.

Doctors and nurses from Ninh Hoa Regional General Hospital examined and guided Ms. Ngo Thi Em at home.

Faced with this situation, with the support of the Center for Healthcare Innovation Research, the hospital has developed a Project to Improve Healthcare for the Elderly and People with Disabilities in the locality. The goal of the project is to improve the health and quality of life for vulnerable groups. The main activity of the project is to implement a home healthcare model, in which patients are examined directly by doctors, supported by nurses, connected to doctors remotely; at the same time, personal care plans are created and electronic health records are stored.

The project will be implemented from March 2025 to September 2027, divided into three phases. Phase 1 (from March to September 2025) will care for 500 people in the town, including 108 lonely elderly people without caregivers and 392 people with severe disabilities who are receiving social benefits. The subjects will receive regular health check-ups, early detection of dangerous diseases, reducing the risk of complications and raising awareness in the use of health insurance. Phases 2 and 3 (from October 2025 to September 2027 until the end of the project) will expand the scale, supporting an additional 5,500 people with severe disabilities who are receiving social benefits.

The project to improve health care for the elderly and people with disabilities in Ninh Hoa town has been implemented for the first time in Vietnam. The project not only helps vulnerable people access health services and effectively use health insurance, but also contributes to screening and early detection of non-communicable diseases (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, etc.), preventing stroke and other dangerous complications. Thereby, contributing to improving the quality of life for the elderly, people with disabilities in particular and the community in general.

By the end of 2024, Ninh Hoa town has nearly 26,640 elderly people, including 108 lonely elderly people without caregivers; nearly 6,930 people with disabilities, including about 4,190 people with severe disabilities and more than 1,700 people with extremely severe disabilities, receiving social benefits.

BA PHONG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202505/nang-cao-chat-luong-cham-soc-suc-khoe-nguoi-cao-tuoi-nguoi-khuet-tat-ea217fd/