Health Care of the Aged
Vietnamese culture is rooted in the family, and every family member is taken care of from conception until death. Younger people look upon the elderly with great respect, and it is considered the sacred duty of children to care for their parents in their old age. Thus, when an elderly person becomes ill, it is often expected that his family members will care for him/her and give that person the best treatment they can. Family members often use a variety of traditional methods of healthcare, such as herbal medicines to help ease the condition, because these treatments are probably the ones with which the elderly person is most comfortable and familiar. Therefore, a Vietnamese elder will not go to a doctor or a hospital until absolutely necessary. Some elderly patients hesitate to seek care at a hospital because they are afraid of the hospital environment or may be uneasy about the kinds of treatments used there. From what is known about the importance of the family in Vietnamese life, one might speculate as well, that perhaps Vietnamese elderly hesitate to seek hospital care because they want to remain close with their family, as their family is undoubtedly their greatest form of support.
Specific ailments that affect Vietnamese senior citizens are similar to those that affect elderly individuals of other cultural groups in the United States, and include sensory loss, memory loss, arthritis, learning deficits, and other illnesses due to aging.
Cultural Diversity
