October 1st has been declared by the United Nations as the International Day of Older Persons, and this year marks the 21st year for which the event have been recognized. This special day is celebrated worldwide by raising awareness about issues affecting the elderly as well as by appreciating the contributions that older people make to society.
As such, here is a brief look at the older Vietnamese population. According to HelpAge International, approximately 10% of the Vietnamese population is at least 60 years of age, and 66% of those over 80 are women. By 2030, older adults are expected to compose over 16% of Vietnam’s population. Nearly two-thirds of these senior citizens currently live in three-generation households. This fact probably does not come as a surprise, since familial interactions are highly valued amongst Vietnamese. However, what may come as a surprise is that 43% of women and 58% of men over 70 are still part of the workforce. As a matter of fact, they are averaging about 32 hours of work per week in order to be able to help with their households’ finances instead of simply caring for grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Moreover, even though they are still economically-active, only 5% of Vietnam’s elders are healthy enough to be working. Various surveys reveal that 95% of seniors have some type of chronic disease, such as the 54% with musculoskeletal problems and 46% with respiratory difficulties. This have led to healthcare becoming one of the key targets for the National Program for the Elderly 2011-2015. So far, some of the activities that have been initiated to address elders’ health include, teaching older farmers about blood pressure conditions, diabetes, and heart disease. There is also a program where volunteer health providers travel to rural areas to provide examinations. Unfortunately, funding as well as human resources are limited.
Thus, as both HelpAge International and the Vietnam Association of the Elderly would respond: it’s time to pay more attention to the elderly!
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Hi Trieutinh05, thank you. JKD