Care taken for the elderly in the families and society

Update: 03-10-2023 | 14:44:22

The elderly are a valuable asset of every family and society for the reason that they not only have merit in giving birth but also have a lot of life experience to guide and orient their children and grandchildren. With the theme of "Family and society should create conditions for the elderly to live happily, healthily, and usefully" and in response to this year's International Day of the Elderly and Action Month for the Vietnamese Elderly, Binh Duong provincial Department of Population and Family Planning has guided localities on communication content to promote the role of the elderly by further enhancing the responsibility of all levels, sectors and the entire society in protection and care for the elderly.

Bau Bang district Medical Center coordinate health checks for the elderly

To promote the role of the elderly

Recently, Binh Duong has implemented a project on elderly care activities for 2017-2025 with the goal of meeting the health care needs of the elderly to adapt to the population aging period, contributing to realizing the needs of the elderly in the present national action program. The protecting, caring for and promoting the role of the elderly is always paid attention to by Party committees, authorities and political systems in the province. In particular, the elderly associations at all levels in the province have recently made many innovations in the content of activities and encouraged the elderly to participate. Many elderly have made greatly positive contributions by always leading by example to encourage children, grandchildren and the community to join hands in building new rural areas, building a cultural and civilized urban lifestyle, and building a better culture in residential areas with progressive and happy families.

Nguyen Thi Thai, living in Quarter 6 of Phu My ward in Thu Dau Mot city is still very active in local activities irrespective of her age of 64. Participating in neighborhood women's activities, she regularly grasps programs and activities implemented by city and ward to promptly convey to women in the neighborhood for better implementation. In her family, she always sets an example and encourages her children and grandchildren to strive in work, study, and contribute to building the homeland. “I am a grandmother and a mother in the family, so I have to be an example for my children and grandchildren to follow. In addition to working in the local community, even though I am old, I am still healthy, so I often help my children and grandchildren manage the family so that they can feel secure in working and studying," Thai said.

According to statistics, the average life expectancy of Vietnamese people has continuously increased to 72.8 years in 2009, 73.5 in 2017 and 73.6 in 2022 (of which men are 71.1 years and women 76.4). Although the average life expectancy of Vietnamese people is high, the number of years of healthy life (counted from birth) is only 65 years. That also raises the need for more emphasis on caring for the elderly at home and in the community.

To do that, according to Dr. Ho Hoang Van, Deputy Director of the provincial Family Health Department, it is necessary to promote propaganda and education to change people's behavior about the rights and health care needs of the elderly to gradually eliminate prejudices about health care for the elderly at centralized facilities like nursing homes and retirement centers. Agencies, organizations, families and communities should not discriminate and consider the elderly as a burden but need to pay attention to help, take care of health and promote the role of the elderly; obligations and responsibilities of families and communities with elderly people.

More attention and care needed

In response to the International Day of the Elderly and the Month of Action for the Vietnamese Elderly this year, the provincial Department of Family Health and Human Services has instructed the Health Centers of districts, towns and cities to regularly organize and deploy activities campaigning to raise awareness of Party committees, authorities, and organizations at all levels, policy makers, religious dignitaries, and prestigious people in the community about opportunities and challenges for caring for and promoting the role of the elderly in order to build, supplement and perfect policies, plans and investments for the elderly, proactively adapt to population aging, build a health care environment friendly to the elderly, especially in family and community.

In addition to the communication activities regularly carried out by the population sector, especially during peak periods such as celebrating the International Day of the Elderly (October 1) and the Month of Action for Vietnam's Elderly (in October every year), the health care of the elderly has also received great attention from families, communities and medical facilities. Most commune, ward and town health stations in the province have implemented health records programs for the elderly, along with organizing medical examination and health communication activities for the elderly.

Nguyen Thi Ha, Head of Communication and Health Education of Bau Bang district Medical Center, said that to carry out health care for the elderly, recently, the center has coordinated with the locality to organize periodic health check-ups for 5,239 out of 6,479 elderly people (with focus on taking care of the lonely, disabled, and poor households) in 7 communes and towns in the district, reaching 80.86% of the target health sector delivered during the year. Participating in a health check, the elderly receive a general examination, a general ultrasound, and advice and guidance on measures to prevent and control some common diseases and how to take care of their health to live a healthy life, actively contributing to improving the health of the elderly in the district.

With valuable experience accumulated in life, the elderly play a very important role in every family and in society. Therefore, according to Dr. Ho Hoang Van, caring for and creating conditions for the elderly to promote their role and contribute to society is the responsibility of all levels, sectors, organizations, each family and the entire society. In Binh Duong, the care and protection of the elderly has always received special attention from the authorities. The province's activities have contributed to encouraging the elderly to live happily, healthily, and productively.

The proportion of elderly people aged 65 and over in Vietnam's population structure in the 2017-2020 accounted for 8% - 9%. In 2021, the proportion of people aged 65 and over reached 8.3%. According to forecasts of the General Statistics Office, by 2038, the group of people aged 60 and over will reach more than 21 million people, accounting for 20% of the total population. This rate will increase to 25% equivalent to 27 million people by 2050. The increasing number of elderly people shows that the population aging rate is keeping up paces in our country.

Reported by Cam Ly - Pham Vuong - Translated by Vi Bao

Share

Care taken for the elderly in the families and society

HIGHLIGHTS

MOST READ