Elderly people in Tan Ly village of Tu Ly commune (Da Bac district) receive initial health counselling and examination from medical workers. 

Da Bac district has 17 communes and towns, of which 12 communes belong to region 3 with poor households accounting for 25.7% of the population. 

The representative board of the district’s association of the elderly has proactively advised the local Party Committee and administration to carry out many activities to improve health care for the elderly. 

Medical facilities in the locality have provided counselling and medical examination for over 10,000 elderly people and 5,900 seniors have had initial health monitoring records set up. 

Head of the representative board of the district’s association of the elderly Xa Thi Huyen said that identifying the difficulties and challenges posed in health care for the elderly, the board has coordinated with other agencies in deploying dissemination campaigns to raise the community’s awareness of caring for the elderly as well as to provide counselling and medical examination for them. Those, who reside in extremely difficult areas, are checked up periodically at the nearest medical facility. 

To carry out health care activities for the elderly, the provincial association of the elderly has urged the local Party Committee and authorities to fully implement policies for the elderly. Attention should be paid to the dissemination of contents relating to health practice, nutrition and warning about some common diseases in the elderly such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. 

In 2023, the association has coordinated with relevant agencies to ensure that over 15,000 elderly people are eligible to receive social benefits. Among them, 4,300 elderly under 80 years old are people with disabilities and living alone; over 11,000 elderly aged 80 and over; over 101,000 elderly people have health insurance cards; 80,800 elderly people received regular health checkups; and 68,000 elderly people have initial health monitoring books at medical facilities. 

Besides effectively implementing policies to care for and improve health for the elderly, the association has utilised social resources. Some projects, namely "Reducing the income and health vulnerability of the elderly in Vietnam", "Supporting disadvantaged elderly by multiplying intergenerational self-help clubs in Vietnam", "Supporting the building of a community-based long-term care service delivery system", have helped care of sick elderly, establish and expand intergenerational self-help club (ISHC) model. A total of 1,628 models of cultural, arts, and sports clubs have been operated efficiently, thus improving the physical and mental health of the elderly. 

The provincial Department of Health has issued Plan No. 2240 on health care for the elderly and replication of the ISHC model in the province for the 2022-2025 period, aimed at improving the quality of health care for the elderly, promoting socialisation of caring activities in line with the potential and socio-economic development level of the locality. It targets that 70% of the elderly receive regular health checkups at least once a year, 95% of the elderly have health monitoring records, 70% of the elderly are detected, treated and managed for non-communicable diseases and 100% of commune and ward health stations coordinate with the association for the elderly and the local ISHC to well implement health care activities. 

Bui Tuan Hai, president of the provincial association of the elderly, said that in the coming time, the network of associations at all levels will continue to advise party committees and authorities on the implementation of policies for the elderly, with focus on the communication work to raise awareness of the elderly in taking care of their health. 

He expressed his hope that local authorities will mobilise resources to invest in upgrading health facilities as well as maintaining health care models for the elderly, thereby gradually improving the quality of care, helping the elderly live joyfully, happily and healthily.