Should Vietnamese elderly live in nursing homes?

Tia Walker once said “To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors”. This, indeed, is one mission that should not be neglected, thus leading to the rise of nursing services in recent years. Though living in retirement homes possesses both advantages and disadvantages, it is more feasible that Vietnamese elderly should not spend the retirement period in convalescent homes. Benefit wise, residing in convalescent homes is ideal on account of two main reasons: professional care and a sociable environment. In terms of medical care, together with sufficient advanced equipment in retirement facilities, it is better for the senior citizens to stay under immediate supervision of well-trained doctors to be provided with proper treatment as needed. In addition, senior citizens are provided with additional involvement in social activities such as making new friends, chit-chatting and joining games together which could reduce the boredom of old age. However, nursing home’s inhabitants could suffer from several drawbacks. First, notwithstanding a companionable environment, meeting with unfamiliar people could cause inconvenience. The circumstance is that it might be harder to make new friends at that age, hence, the occurrence of loneliness and isolation could be more regular. Additionally, high medical costs would be a burden to the guardians. On average, in 2018, it costs VND 6-15 million ($263-657) a month for a person to stay at the private nursing homes in Hanoi, whereas the GDP per capita income per month in Vietnam is approximately $210 (worldbank. org, 2018). This healthcare expense is considerable even to middling households in Vietnam, making the idea not worthy enough to execute. For the time being, the idea of living under the direct care of doctors rather than relatives is unpopular to families in the Vietnam context. Since Asian culture focuses mainly on the value of family and the tight connection among members of different generations, it is reasonable for the elderly to have quality time with children. Plus, the fee for a nursing home’s residents, as mentioned above, is high for modern equipment and nursing services, so only those whose families have an above average income could afford such living conditions. Therefore, the idea of Vietnamese senior folks staying at home after retirement is more feasible and practical. The number of nursing homes in Vietnam is increasing, nonetheless, the concept of living away from relatives has not gained popularity. Life in a convalescent home could bring both benefits and drawbacks considering all the aforementioned points, however, the elderly are encouraged to stay home after retirement since the advantages take the dominant.