Abstract
Social demographic studies in Vietnam have shown a growing trend of an ageing population. Demographic trends project that one third of the Vietnamese population will be aged 65 years and older by 2050. Vietnam is a country where the majority of the elderly live with their children, with little savings and pension. The purpose of this review was to explore existing literature on models of care for an ageing population and provide evidence to develop a care model that is suitable for the ageing community in Vietnam. A systematic review utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework was carried out. An extensive literature search was performed, with a focus on articles and other materials with relevance to elderly care in Vietnam in terms of socio-economic, demographic, and associated factors based on comprehensive data sources. The review found that there is a lack of evidence of professional practice for caring for the aged in Vietnam. There also is a lack of evidence of government support for the limited community initiatives to support the ageing. There exist no community models of care for the ageing population in Vietnam. From a global perspective, there exist alternative models of care options to support the elderly through various care models, such as living in assisted-care facilities, home care, and other assistance. Inter-professional practice care models and health services were found to be essential for an ageing population. There is limited literature specifically for the care of an ageing population in Vietnam. Most of the available literature on care models for the aged is drawn from developed countries. The review offers insights into the development of care models for the elderly in Vietnam, with the need for inter-professional efforts in practice settings to support the ageing Vietnamese population. The reviewed literature agrees on the developing global challenges due to ageing. Despite the existing literature on care models for the ageing, there is a lack evidence-based care models concerning the current and future needs of elderly care in middle- and lower-income economies like Vietnam. More evidence is required to establish evidence for best care models for the elderly in developing economies.
Highlights
Other important aspects that were deemed important to the development of a Vietnamese model of elderly care included the impact of the elderly on the economy on the basis of elderly care and an ageing population, assessed based on elderly care and health expenditures [22], dementia as an elderly disease and the development of a national dementia action plan [89], caregiver attitudes and caregiver support [83], and attitudes and willingness to pay for activity centers [82]
This review paper found that Vietnam is experiencing a rapid increase in the proportion of the ageing population coupled with a growing demand for elderly care across the country
A good number of studies exploring the attributes and factors of a sound elderly care model were identified, this review paper found no evidence of what seems to be the most suitable care model being implemented in Vietnam
Summary
The ageing population phenomenon is experienced globally, with considerable effects on all aspects of life. While becoming a growing global issue, ageing populations pose new challenges to global health systems, health policies, and medical resource allocation [1]. Since 2005, the global share of the population aged above 60 is showing an upward trend across all countries and regions. It has been projected that the global elderly population will triple from 1980 to 2025, increasing from 259 million to 761 million in less than five decades [2]. The fast-ageing global population leads to higher dependency rates and requires health and social care systems to transform to address the new population demographics. The increasing trends of an ageing population have been observed both
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