Population Aging – A Global Demographic Shift

Population aging is one of the most significant demographic transformations worldwide today. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every second, two people worldwide turn 60, amounting to approximately 58 million new individuals aged 60 and above each year. In 2015, there were about 901 million elderly people globally, accounting for 12.3% of the world’s population. This number is expected to exceed two billion by 2050, making up 22% of the global population. Vietnam is among the ten countries with the fastest aging populations.

According to a report from the General Statistics Office, by 2020, elderly people were projected to make up 18% of Vietnam’s population. The country officially entered the “aging period” after 2017, and in the following two decades, it is expected to transition into an “aged population” phase.

Elderly Care in Vietnam

In Vietnam, elderly care is primarily provided by family members. While hospitals and nursing homes employ staff to provide care as a profession, the primary responsibility still falls on family caregivers. Professional caregivers in Vietnam mainly offer basic assistance to patients and support nurses and orderlies. Elderly care remains largely a family responsibility, and professional elderly caregiving has yet to be fully recognized as a formal profession in society.

Given the shifting disease patterns and the rapid pace of population aging, the Ministry of Health is strengthening primary healthcare services, expanding geriatric hospital systems, and increasing the healthcare workforce for elderly care. The ministry is also encouraging private sector participation in developing nursing home models that align with Vietnam’s cultural traditions.

Caregivers play a crucial role as they directly interact with the elderly, a group requiring specialized care. Beyond possessing knowledge and skills related to nutrition, disease prevention, and elderly health protection, caregivers must also be attentive to the psychological and physiological needs of the elderly. Elderly caregiving is still a relatively new field in Vietnam, with high demand in both hospitals and communities, making it necessary to learn from international experiences.

Challenges in Elderly Care Facilities

A survey conducted between 2016 and 2017 on nursing homes and social welfare centers in Hanoi revealed that the current social welfare center model is inadequate in both quantity and quality. As of now, Hanoi has only three social welfare centers. These facilities face severe staff shortages, with only one caregiver for every ten elderly residents. Additionally, the infrastructure is poor, lacking essential rehabilitation equipment.

To improve elderly care quality, an immediate solution is to strengthen the healthcare system for the elderly, both in public medical facilities and community-based nursing homes. It is also crucial to enhance the training and capacity-building of healthcare staff and caregivers for the elderly.

Elderly Care as a Profession – The Japanese Model and Its Potential in Vietnam

Japan, with an aging population that began much earlier than Vietnam’s, has spent decades researching, training, and investing in welfare and social security for elderly care. As a pioneer in elderly caregiving, Japan has accumulated extensive knowledge and expertise in this field.

In Japan, elderly care was traditionally a family responsibility, similar to Vietnam. However, with the rise of nuclear families and the socialization of elderly care, professional caregivers have become increasingly important. Japan has introduced a national certification for elderly care professionals, known as the “Certified Care Worker” qualification. This profession requires caregivers to have in-depth expertise and strong communication skills to not only assist the elderly but also collaborate effectively with doctors to ensure seamless caregiving. In Japan, elderly caregiving is a highly specialized and professionalized field.

According to projections by the Japanese government, by 2025, the country will need at least 2.53 million workers in elderly care, with a current shortage of approximately 378,000 caregivers.

Opportunities for Vietnam in Elderly Care Training

Nguyen Van Hoi, Director-General of the Department of Social Protection under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, has highlighted the significant demand for caregivers in Vietnamese hospitals, where labor costs average 300,000 VND per day. To meet this growing demand, the Vietnam Red Cross and relevant organizations should collaborate with the Ministry of Health to develop training programs and efficiently utilize the trained workforce.

Associate Professor Dr. Pham Thi Thanh Binh, a representative of the Ministry of Health, stated that Vietnam’s healthcare sector is planning to build a network of “family doctors.” The country’s healthcare strategy aims to develop a sustainable healthcare system that ensures universal health coverage. One of the key initiatives from 2016 to 2020 was expanding and strengthening the family doctor model. The Vietnam Red Cross is encouraged to coordinate with the healthcare sector to jointly establish and expand this system.

Given the current reality, the demand for trained personnel with sufficient knowledge and skills to care for the elderly, patients, and people with disabilities is a pressing issue, not just in Vietnam but worldwide.

With the introduction of Japan’s Kaigo training program, which provides specialized knowledge and skills in elderly care, Vietnam has the opportunity to adopt advanced caregiving techniques suited to societal needs. In the near future, professional elderly caregiving could become a recognized and respected profession in Vietnam.