Nearly 90 years old, Đặng Thị Bằng of Thanh Trường village, Thanh Nưa commune, lives with several chronic conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, which have affected her health. Each month, when her health is stable, her children and grandchildren take her to the local health station for checkups and medication. When she becomes too weak to travel, healthcare workers visit her at home to examine her and advise her family on how to provide care.

“I’m old now and have several underlying health conditions, so my health is not very good. But the healthcare workers regularly check on me and provide free blood pressure medication, so I feel that I’m receiving very good care,” Đặng Thị Bằng said.

Thanh Nưa commune currently has 4,150 older residents. The commune health station is monitoring the health of 1,825 older people with non-communicable diseases through medical records, regular checkups, monitoring of health indicators and guidance on medication use. Since the beginning of the year, the station has provided free health checkups to nearly 2,000 older people in the area.

Dr. Phạm Bá Đạt of the Thanh Nưa commune Health Station said: “We regularly monitor and manage the health of older people. For those who are frail or have difficulty getting around, healthcare workers visit them at home to provide examinations and guide their families on proper care.”

Healthcare for older people is not limited to medical facilities. It is also provided within the community through Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs. The province currently has 50 such clubs in operation. At the Nam Thanh Intergenerational Self-Help Club in Mường Thanh ward, members have their blood pressure checked, receive advice on diet and physical activity, and are guided to seek medical attention when abnormal signs are detected.

These activities help ensure regular health monitoring within the community, particularly for older people with chronic conditions. Through club activities, members gain additional knowledge and experience in caring for their health, maintain appropriate daily routines and seek medical care proactively when unusual symptoms arise. This helps control risk factors, detect health problems early and prevent conditions from becoming more severe.

Across the province, more than 46,000 older people have been issued health insurance cards, representing 98% of the elderly population. More than 27,000 have received a health checkup at least once a year and had their health records established for ongoing monitoring. More than 5,000 older people have received information and guidance on healthcare and self-care.

Maintaining health records and conducting regular checkups provide healthcare facilities with more information to monitor changes in patients’ health, particularly those with underlying conditions, enabling them to offer advice on appropriate lifestyles and treatment.

The “Bright eyes for older people” program continues to be implemented through cooperation between the health sector and the provincial Association of the Elderly. Each year, the provincial budget provides VND 250 million to fund consultations, training and screening for eye diseases among older people. On average, more than 500 people receive eyeglasses through the program.

The healthcare system is also receiving investment to better meet the medical needs of older people. The province currently has 217 hospital beds designated for elderly patients. Combining community-based health monitoring with treatment at medical facilities enables older people to receive more appropriate care as their health conditions change.

Lò Văn Mừng, Chairman of the provincial Association of the Elderly, said: “In recent years, healthcare for older people across the province has achieved positive results. Health programs have been implemented regularly, alongside medical examinations, treatment and health monitoring for older people. Going forward, we hope greater attention will continue to be paid to elderly healthcare, particularly community-based care, so that older people can have their health monitored regularly and access appropriate healthcare services close to where they live.”

Caring for older people goes beyond medical examinations and treatment; it needs to be maintained regularly and continuously. Initiatives ranging from health facilities to community-based care are gradually helping meet the long-term healthcare needs of older people across the province.