Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Hong explained her plan to improve facilities for aged citizen welfare in Danang, where demand for welfare provision to the aged is rising.

1. The City

Danang is one of the five largest cities in Vietnam. It covers 1,255.5 km², and is divided into 7 districts. Of a population of over 800,000, 80% live in the urban area. With recent economic growth and improved living standards, health care is improving. Average life expectancy increased from 66.3 to 73.5 years between 1999 and 2007. Those aged over 60 increased from 8.4% to 9.36%, and the over 65s increased from 6.1% to 7.8% of the population over the same period. 

Taking care of the old is a Vietnamese moral standard, and formerly, most aged lived with their children. Nowadays however, more young move to the city, or do not like to live with parents. The nuclear family is more common, and fewer young people are caring for grandparents and parents, leaving some aged alone and without shelter. 

Danang City is implementing policies for the elderly under the objectives of Action Plan for the Elderly 2006-2010. Health care services are improving, but an aging population is creating bigger demands, with lifestyle and diet related diseases increasing medical costs. 

Medical centers have improved, with clinics in every community, hospitals in every district, and many city hospitals, but there are no medical centers specifically for the aged. 

The government provides regular allowances for the disabled elderly, elderly without help and the elderly over eighty-five; obligatory social insurance for government and private employees (but not agricultural or other laborers); health insurance; and housing allowances from the city budget for the poor elderly. NGOs, charitable and private organizations and citizens also support elderly, for instance thorough free health examinations and treatment, material and financial support, or elderly centers. This assistance is traditionally expanded around national holidays, like Elderly Day. 

After retirement, people participate in social activities like music, exercise and sport clubs and movements. Many of these activities are arranged by the city government, which also promotes family care through the ideology of “Grandparents and parents are models, the descendants are respectful”. Local wards have set up the Fund for the Elderly and the Fund for caring the Elderly, for health care, entertainment activities, and ultimately funeral expenses. 

In 2008, there were 138 disadvantaged elderly citizens living in 3 publicly sponsored shelters, and 6,000 elderly given a monthly allowance. Here too, thousands more are given allowances and gifts on occasions such as national holidays. Improvements are needed however, in medical and social insurance implementation. The social insurance participation of the young should be encouraged. Also necessary are medical insurance cards and socially sponsored care centers for the elderly who are alone or disabled; regular subsidizing of social funds for over-85s; construction of houses for homeless aged; and raising of funds and organizing of clubs and leisure facilities. Ordinance, laws and clearly assigned roles for each relevant department, with the mobilization of organizational and citizen care have proved key to the welfare of older citizens.

A senior-citizen exercise club celebrate Elderly Day in Danang

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1. The Proposed Action Plan

The Action plan formulated by Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Hong aims to increase the quality of service provision to the elderly by providing support for elderly citizens and their activity clubs in the city of Danang. 

A budget will be mobilized through the city government elderly fund, NGOs, communities and the private sector, and financial assistance will be provided to elderly who are living alone or in poor households. The money will also be used to arrange activities in sport, the arts, music, and study tours for older citizens, and financially support elderly clubs in the communities. 

Secondly, the quality of three aged centers for those who do not live with children will be increased by the provision of staff training on elderly care skills, medical care, nutrition etc. Support for repairs and decoration of two further elderly centers for the poor will be provided, and elderly clubs in the communities will be replaced, as some are lacking in budget and management skills. A club management training course will be formulated for club leaders, and the Thai Phien Club for retired officials will be facilitated with training courses on art, calligraphy, tree-growing, and cooking etc. Citizens will be informed of the Action Plan through local TV and radio networks.

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Danang Action Plan Time Frame: November 2008 – December 2010

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