河内——2014年，Tran Thi Thuy Nga和她的丈夫在河内郊区开设了第一家养老院，但在最初的六个月里，他们只吸引到了五位居民。由于越南社会对养老院的负面看法依然根深蒂固，因此这家养老院花了整整三年时间才将60个床位全部住满。
HANOI -- Tran Thi Thuy Nga and her husband attracted just five residents in six months after opening their first care home on the outskirts of Hanoi in 2014. It took another three years to fill the 60-bed facility, as negative attitudes toward nursing homes remained strong in Vietnam.
12年后，Dien Hong已成为越南最大的养老院连锁机构，在越南北部的10家养老院中为900名老年人提供照料服务。
But 12 years later, Dien Hong has become the country's largest care home chain, looking after 900 elderly people across 10 facilities in northern Vietnam. "Our beginning was extremely difficult.
“我们的创业之路极其艰难。虽然市场需求确实存在，但最大的挑战在于社会对养老院的偏见，更不用说高昂的运营成本了，”39岁的Nga在接受《Nikkei Asia》采访时说道。“在当时，许多子女认为将父母送进养老院是一种不孝的行为；邻居、亲戚和家人也会因此指责这些子女。”
There was demand, but the challenge was the stigma, and that's before even considering the cost," Nga, 39, told Nikkei Asia. "Sending parents to a nursing home at the time was subconsciously seen by many children as being unfilial. And the wider community, including neighbors, relatives and family members, would judge children for putting their parents in a nursing home," she said.
作为越南最大养老院运营商Dien Hong的联合创始人，Nga表示，自该公司2014年首家养老院开业以来，人们对养老院的看法已经发生了巨大变化。
Tran Thi Thuy Nga, co-founder of Dien Hong, Vietnam's largest care-home operator, speaks to Nikkei Asia. She says attitudes toward nursing homes have shifted dramatically since the company's first facility opened in 2014.
这对夫妇多年来一直研究市场，并积极倡导改变社会对养老服务的认知。他们的策略取得了成功：Dien Hong在2022年至2025年间又开设了7家新养老院，并计划在未来几个月内在胡志明市再开设新的分院。
The couple had studied the market for years and campaigned to change perceptions of eldercare. The strategy worked. Dien Hong opened seven more locations between 2022 and 2025 and plans to launch several more, including its first facility in Ho Chi Minh City in a few months.
养老院的基本护理费用每月在700万至1800万越南盾（约合265至685美元）之间。
Basic care costs between 7 million dong ($265) and 18 million dong ($685) a month.
“我相信未来的市场需求将会非常强劲，”Nga说，“我们应该提供多种护理服务选择，包括住家护理、日间护理以及居家护理。”
"I am confident that future demand will be very strong. But there should be a variety of options, from residential care to day care and home-based care," Nga said.
越南人口老龄化速度加快，这催生了东南亚新兴的养老产业。然而由于家庭规模缩小、子女大多外出务工，大多数老年人仍依赖亲戚照顾，且无力承担专业护理费用。目前的挑战在于如何在尊重传统孝道观念的同时，让老年人能够获得必要的护理服务——毕竟，这个国家还在快速发展，但养老资源却相对匮乏。
Vietnam's rapidly aging population is creating one of Southeast Asia's newest growth industries: eldercare. But as families shrink and children move away, most older Vietnamese still rely on relatives and cannot afford professional care. The challenge is overcoming resistance rooted in filial piety while making care accessible in a country growing old before it grows rich.
生育率已从20世纪60年代的每名妇女生育近7个孩子下降到2006年后的约2个孩子，与此同时，人均预期寿命却有所提高。
Fertility has fallen from nearly seven children per woman in the 1960s to around two since 2006, while life expectancy has risen.
越南拥有超过1亿人口，是世界上人口老龄化速度最快的国家之一。预计65岁及以上的人口比例将从2015年的7%上升到2036年的14%以上；这一变化在法国用了115年时间，而在越南仅需约20年即可完成。
Vietnam, with more than 100 million people, is among the world's fastest-aging countries. The share of people aged 65 and above is expected to double from 7% in 2015 to more than 14% by 2036, a transition that took France 115 years but will take Vietnam only about two decades.
对政府而言，这带来了社会方面的挑战；对企业来说，则是一个开发所谓“银色经济”（即针对老年人的经济产业）的机会。
For the government, that presents a social challenge. For businesses, it is an opportunity to tap the so-called silver economy.
“银色经济的发展是越南在21世纪第一季度正在经历的重大转变之一，其他重要变化还包括快速的城市化、家庭规模缩小以及人口老龄化加速。”越南RMIT大学的副教授凯瑟琳·厄尔（Catherine Earl）说道。
"The development of the silver economy is one of the significant shifts Vietnam is undergoing in the first quarter of the 21st century, along with rapid urbanization, shrinking family size and the rapid aging of the population," said Catherine Earl, an associate professor at RMIT University Vietnam.
然而，专业的老年人护理服务仍然非常稀缺。根据联合国人口基金（UNFPA）的数据，约99%的老年越南人依赖家庭照顾，其中女性承担了72%的护理工作。
Yet professional eldercare remains rare. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), around 99% of older Vietnamese depend on family care, with women shouldering 72% of caregiving responsibilities.
随着家庭规模缩小、人口向城市迁移以及人均预期寿命的延长，传统的护理方式越来越难以维持，因此付费护理服务有着巨大的市场潜力。
That leaves substantial room for paid services as smaller households, urban migration and longer life expectancy make traditional care arrangements increasingly difficult to sustain.
Ken Research的研究预测，越南的老年人护理市场规模将从2025年的26.8亿美元增长到2031年的48亿美元，年均增长率约为10%；需求范围将不仅限于养老院服务，还包括居家护理、康复服务、日间照料、远程医疗以及医院到家庭的医疗服务。
Research by Ken Research projects Vietnam's market for elderly care will expand from $2.68 billion in 2025 to $4.8 billion by 2031, representing average annual growth of about 10%, as demand spreads beyond residential nursing homes to home assistance, rehabilitation, day care, teleconsultation and hospital-to-home services.
在河内的Dien Hong养老院里，一名护理人员正在照顾一位老人。虽然大多数越南老年人仍由家庭成员照顾，但随着国家老龄化进程的加快，对专业护理服务的需求也在不断增长。
A caregiver assists a resident at a Dien Hong care home in Hanoi. Most older Vietnamese are still looked after by family members, but demand for professional eldercare is rising as the country ages rapidly.
69岁的Vu Thi Bich Hao在中风后六个月搬进了河内的养老院。虽然她花了一些时间来适应新的生活环境，但她逐渐习惯了那里有规律的作息安排——包括定时进餐、定期锻炼以及各种旨在保持她身体和大脑活力的活动。
Vu Thi Bich Hao, 69, moved into a care home in Hanoi six months ago after suffering a stroke. It took her some time to adjust, but she gradually adapted to the structured routine, including regular meals, exercise and activities designed to keep her hands and mind active.
这位性格开朗的退休教师表示，养老院里的医生和友善的居民让她感到安心；但每当谈到患有癌症的丈夫时，她总会突然泪流满面。“我非常想念他，我只想回家陪他。”她说。
The cheery retired teacher said she felt reassured by the on-site doctor and friendly fellow residents, but suddenly burst into tears when talking about her husband, who is suffering from cancer. "I miss him so much. I just want to go home to him," she said.
RMIT大学的Earl指出，在老年时期选择居家护理是一种普遍现象，这种现象在世界各地都存在。
RMIT's Earl said that receiving care at home during old age is ordinary and a pan-regional phenomenon.
“在越南和其他亚洲国家，以家庭为基础的养老方式才是主流。”她说，“这不应该被视为一个问题。大多数老年人更倾向于居家护理，而不是入住养老院。”根据Ken Research的研究，这种偏好很可能会影响养老产业的发展：到2031年，居家护理在养老市场中的占比预计将从2025年的34%上升到42%。这一趋势得益于人们对居家养老的文化偏好、较低的基础设施需求，以及各种移动应用程序在护理安排中的辅助作用。
"Family-based care is the norm for eldercare in Vietnam and other countries in Asia," she said. "It should not be regarded as a problem. Most older adults prefer in-home care to institutional care homes." That preference is likely to shape the industry's development. Home care is expected to increase from 34% of elderly-care market revenue in 2025 to 42% by 2031, supported by the cultural preference for aging at home, lower infrastructure requirements and app-enabled scheduling, according to Ken Research.
在河内的Tam An Nhien养老院里，居民们会一起用餐。随着越来越多的年轻人离开家乡外出工作或生活，养老服务机构正在填补这一日益增长的养老需求。
Residents dine together at a Tam An Nhien care home in Hanoi. As younger generations increasingly live and work away from home, care providers are filling a growing gap in support for older people.
今年7月，河内政府出台了一系列政策，旨在推动“银色经济”（即与老年人相关的经济活动）的发展，其中包括对养老服务和产品的扶持措施，以及鼓励企业雇佣老年员工的政策。
In July, Hanoi released a policy package aimed at boosting the silver economy, including incentives for elderly-care services and products and measures to encourage businesses to employ older workers.
越南总统To Lam也高度重视“银色经济”的发展。在河内医科大学的养老医疗综合体开工仪式上，Lam表示，如果不采取新的发展策略，家庭结构的变化将会给医疗和社会福利系统带来越来越大的压力。
Vietnamese President To Lam has also urged for the silver economy to be developed. At the January groundbreaking of a Hanoi Medical University elderly healthcare complex, Lam said that without a new approach, changes in family structures would put mounting pressure on healthcare and social welfare systems.
这是一个耗资14.2万亿越南盾的项目，将医疗与培训设施同老年人居住照护相结合。其住宅综合体毗邻一家医院，将提供约720套适老公寓，可容纳1,680人；低楼层将提供从急诊服务到 advanced diagnostics 等各级医疗服务。
The 14.2 trillion dong project combines medical and training facilities with residential care for the elderly. Its residential complex, located next to a hospital, will have roughly 720 elderly-oriented apartments serving 1,680 people, with healthcare ranging from emergency services to advanced diagnostics available on the lower floors.
河内医科大学主任阮兰孝表示，越南需要改变传统的父母照护模式。
Nguyen Lan Hieu, director of Hanoi Medical University, said Vietnam needs to adapt its traditional approach to caring for parents.
“越南社会在很大程度上仍靠所谓的‘孝道经济’维系。父母养育子女，待子女长大并开始挣钱后，又由他们反过来赡养父母。”阮兰孝告诉《日经亚洲》。
"Vietnamese society is still largely sustained by what you might call an economy of filial piety. Parents raise their children, and when those children grow up and start earning money, they in turn support their parents," Hieu told Nikkei Asia.
他主张推广“乐养生活”，将住房与医疗服务结合起来，而不是把居家照护与医疗服务割离开来。他还在与日本企业Care 21合作，试验一种模式：在河内市中心提供70套适老公寓，利用大数据和人脸识别技术识别潜在健康问题，并让住户直接使用急诊服务和诊断设备。
He advocates "elderly living," combining housing with healthcare rather than separating home care from medical services. He is also working with Japanese company Care 21 on a trial model with 70 elderly apartments in central Hanoi that would use big data and facial recognition to identify potential health problems and provide direct access to emergency services and diagnostic equipment.
“人们可以在我们开发的养老项目中租下一套公寓，也可以购买一套作为自己的住房，与父母共同居住。”阮兰孝呼吁在建设养老机构的同时，建立全国性的老年医疗照护网络，并表示医疗服务需要让老年人更容易获得。
"People could rent an apartment in one of our developments, or buy one as their own property, and live there together with their parents." Hieu called for a nationwide geriatric care network alongside elderly-care facilities, saying medical services need to become more accessible to older people.
据联合国人口基金和越南国家统计局的研究，越南人的平均预期寿命为74.7岁，但所谓的健康预期寿命仅为65.4岁，这意味着许多人在病痛或行动受限的状态下生活了近十年。
Vietnamese have a life expectancy of 74.7 years, but their so-called healthy life expectancy is only 65.4 years, meaning many spend nearly a decade living with illness or functional limitations, according to research by UNFPA and Vietnam's National Statistics Office.
河内Dien Hong养老院的住户参加了一场锻炼活动。该公司组织各种活动，旨在让老年人在身体和社会交往方面保持参与。劳动力不足是另一个制约因素。
Residents take part in an exercise session at a Dien Hong care home in Hanoi. The company organizes activities aimed at keeping older people physically and socially engaged. Labor is another constraint.
“在越南，你可能会招聘10个人，但最终只能留下1个人——因为就业机会实在太多了。最大的挑战在于如何找到合适的员工并对他们进行培训，”杜昂·蒂·秋（Duong Thi Thuy）说道。她经营的‘Tam An Nhien’是一家拥有40张床位的养老院，九个月前在河内开业。
"In Vietnam, you might hire 10 people and retain only one because they have so many job opportunities. The biggest challenge is finding and training staff," said Duong Thi Thuy, owner of Tam An Nhien, a 40-bed care home that opened in Hanoi nine months ago.
当时，几乎没有客户咨询；“现在每天都有很多人打电话来咨询入住事宜，”秋说，并表示她计划再开设两家养老院。
At that time there were very few inquiries. "Now, calls are coming in every day," Thuy said, adding that she plans to open two more facilities.
‘Tam An Nhien’的收费标准为每位居民每月1300万至2000万越南盾，她表示至少需要27位居民才能覆盖运营成本。
Tam An Nhien charges between 13 million dong and 20 million dong per resident per month and needs at least 27 residents to cover its costs, she said.
像‘Phuong Dong Asahi’这样的高端养老院采用日式护理模式，收费标准为每月4000万越南盾；对于选择高级住宿和设施的居民，费用甚至会超过1000万越南盾。
More premium facilities such as Phuong Dong Asahi, which adopts a Japanese-style model, charge from 40 million dong a month, with fees rising to more than 100 million dong for residents opting for premium accommodation and amenities.
尽管市场需求正在快速增长，但养老费用仍然是一个令人担忧的问题。
Demand may be rising fast, but paying for care is another matter.
根据联合国人口基金（UNFPA）的数据，约76%的越南老年人没有养老金，因此他们主要依靠积蓄或子女的经济支持来维持生活。即使那些领取养老金的老人，也很难负担得起私人养老院的费用。
About 76% of older Vietnamese live without a pension, according to UNFPA, leaving much of the elderly population dependent on savings or financial support from their children. Even for those receiving pensions, private care homes are not always affordable.
越南社会保障部门的数据显示，约有340万人领取养老金和每月津贴；其中近56.4万人每月的津贴低于300万越南盾，135万人每月的津贴在300万至600万越南盾之间。
Vietnam Social Security data show that about 3.4 million people receive pensions and monthly allowances. Nearly 564,000 receive less than 3 million dong a month, while 1.35 million receive between 3 million dong and 6 million dong.
以‘Dien Hong’这样收费相对较低的私人养老院为例，其每月费用也从700万越南盾起。越南政府并未为私人养老院的运营提供任何补贴。
That compares with monthly charges starting at 7 million dong even at Dien Hong, one of the more affordable private operators. Vietnam provides no state subsidy for residents of private care homes.
一项调查显示，越南共有400多家养老院，其中近一半属于慈善机构或由政府资助；这些养老院主要集中在河内和胡志明市。
A survey found that Vietnam has more than 400 nursing homes, nearly half charitable or state-funded, while the Ministry of Health says facilities are concentrated in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
由于缺乏监管和政府支持、运营成本高昂以及劳动力短缺，养老院的发展面临诸多困难。
The lack of regulation and state support, high operating costs and labor shortages make scaling difficult.
“利润空间非常微薄；这确实是一份充满艰辛的工作，”Dien Hong公司的Ngga说道。她旗下的一些养老机构仅能实现盈亏平衡，甚至略有亏损，但这样公司才能为更多的老年人提供服务。
"The profit margins are very thin. This is truly an arduous line of work," Nga of Dien Hong said. Some of her facilities operate at break-even or a small loss so the company can serve more elderly people. Drawing on Taiwanese and Japanese care models, Dien Hong employs more than 300 people, over half of them under 30.
借鉴台湾和日本的养老模式，Dien Hong公司雇佣了300多名员工，其中超过一半的年龄在30岁以下。该公司为居民组织各种活动，如美容比赛、“运动会”，以及舞蹈和象棋俱乐部，同时也会采取措施来留住员工。
It organizes beauty contests, "Olympics," and dancing and chess clubs for residents, along with activities aimed at retaining staff. Nguyen Nhu Nga, 98, reads in his room at a Dien Hong care home in Hanoi. He says nursing facilities are becoming more acceptable as younger generations increasingly live and work away from their parents.
98岁的Nguyen Nhu Nga正在河内的Dien Hong养老院自己的房间里阅读。他表示，随着年轻一代越来越多地在外地工作和生活，养老院逐渐被人们所接受。
Aged 98, Nguyen Nhu Nga was relaxing in his private room at a Dien Hong facility. Book in hand, he was reading about macrobiotics by a Japanese author, leaving his door open so he could listen to fellow residents playing games and practicing dance outside.
Nguyen Nhu Nga曾在一家Dien Hong养老院里悠闲地阅读着日本作家关于养生保健的书籍；他的房门敞开着，以便能听到其他居民在外面玩游戏或跳舞的声音。他说：“越南过去是一个以大家庭为基础的农村社会，但现在作为一个工业社会，人们大多在远离家乡的地方工作，家人无法再住在附近照顾我们。”六年前，他在中风后搬进了这家养老院——当时他的妻子正在英国看望他们的孩子，另一个孩子则住在另一个城市。
"Vietnam used to be a rural society built around extended families. But now, as an industrial society, people work far from home and family can no longer stay nearby to look after us." He moved into the facility six years ago after he suffered a stroke while his wife was visiting their children in Britain and another child was living in a different city. "Different generations have different ways of thinking. They have to look toward the future, while we tend to look back at the past," he said.
“不同年代的人有着不同的思维方式：年轻人更关注未来，而我们则倾向于回顾过去，”他说，“养老院确实非常适合像我们这样的老人。但并不是每个人都能负担得起在这里的生活费用，更别说拥有像我这样的私人房间了。如果政府能更多地支持这个行业，那就太好了。”
"Care homes are really suitable for old people like us. But not everyone can afford to live here, let alone have a private room like mine. It would be really nice if the state could do more to support this sector."