Socialist Republic of Vietnam

By Bui Nguyen Ngoc

There is an old Vietnamese saying: "A son looks to his father in his youth and a father to his son in his old age." But around here, the saying goes: "An old man looks to the centre."

The Voluntary Care Centre for the Elderly was established two years ago. It covers more than 6,000sq.m in Ha Noi’s Tu Liem District, and stands next to the beautiful Van Tri Pagoda and the 80,000sq.m of ponds and fruit gardens of the Tourism Fruit Garden company. The centre itself has its own garden, as well as individual apartments, a management room, a health care facility, a meeting hall, and a reading room. It also offers 24 hour care from doctors and nurses.

Nguyen Tuan Ngoc, the centre’s manager said that the average fee at the centre is VND1 million a month, but for those in lower income brackets, the centre offers a rate of VND850,000. For VND1.5 million per month, residents can enjoy higher-scale facilities. This is particularly ideal for those who require special medical treatment and care. He is currently looking for more investment.

Nursing homes are very common in other countries, but they are relatively new in Viet Nam. The centre is nothing like the homes sponsored by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Invalids. The people who come here come on their own. They pay for what they consider a larger, quieter and more peaceful space, to find a more comfortable life in their old age. They come here to tend to trees and flowers, and to fish in the ponds. They come here to make friends with people their own age. It’s a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life just a few kilometres down the road.

Nguyen Thi Nhan, 71, is Vietnamese, but she has a Canadian residency. Only one of her six children still lives and works in Vung Tau, but she does have many relatives in Ha Noi. She found little comfort in a Canadian nursing home – perhaps she felt lonely in an alien country – so she registered to stay here at the centre until she dies. Her children, many of whom are quite well-off, take regular trips back to Viet Nam to visit her at the centre.

Ha Nhu Canh, who hails from Ha Noi’s Hai Ba Trung District, said many old people are now buying land and setting up farms in the countryside near Dong Mo, Hoa Lac and Xuan Mai. He could afford to as well, but he didn’t think he had the energy to look after so much property at his age. So he decided to come here. He says the centre is just like a country farm.

Dong Da District’s Tran Minh Trung and his wife have their own bittersweet story to tell. Trung entered the army shortly after their marriage and when he returned 20 years later they could no longer conceive; the war had robbed them of their springtime. He consumed himself in work to forget about the pain, but when he got older, he fully realised the loneliness of not having a child.

He stayed in many homes, but none were suitable for him. He sold his flat for VND400 million and put everything into a savings account. The couple bought a fridge, a motorbike, a tape player, and a TV with them, and even set up a separate phone line. They consider the centre their home. — VNS