President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Bùi Thị Minh Hoài delivers a speech at the event. — VNA/VNS Photos Lê Đông

HÀ NỘI — A shift in perspective of the role of older people is needed as the country enters a new era of development, with greater efforts to enable them to continue contributing to their families, communities and the nation, according to the president of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee.

Speaking at the 7th National Congress of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly in Hà Nội on Wednesday, VFF President Bùi Thị Minh Hoài, a Politburo member and Party Central Committee secretary, said promoting the role of older people requires a decisive change from viewing them as beneficiaries of policies to recognising them as participants in development.

Policies should enable older people to remain active and contribute in ways suited to their health, abilities, experience and aspirations, she said.

Việt Nam is among the countries with the fastest rates of population ageing, driven by rising life expectancy and improving living standards.

The demographic shift is also creating new demands for the country's social security, healthcare and development systems, Hoài said.

Authorities have introduced a range of measures in recent years to protect and care for older people while encouraging them to remain active in society.

Over the past five years, all older people eligible for social protection policies had access to those benefits, according to the Vietnam Association of the Elderly. Authorities and elderly associations also organised longevity celebrations each year for more than 1.2 million older people.

More than 90,000 clubs for older people operate nationwide, offering activities including music, traditional singing and dancing, sports and physical exercise. Millions of members take part, helping improve their physical and mental well-being.

But the contribution of older people extends well beyond such activities, the VFF president said.

Many elderly association members participate in maintaining public order, preventing crime and protecting national security in their communities. Others promote education, help teach younger generations and contribute to cultural and community life.

More older people are also taking part in digital and green transformation, economic development, environmental protection, new-style rural development and poverty reduction efforts.

Delegates vote to adopt the Congress' Resolution.

Their contributions show that the value of older people lies not only in their age and experience, but also in their ability to adapt and their sense of responsibility towards society, she said.

Hoài called on the Vietnam Association of the Elderly to review existing policies and propose new measures suited to changing demographic conditions.

She specifically urged the association to review Directive 59 on the care of older people, issued by the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on September 27, 1995, and propose a new policy document.

The VFF president also called for continued improvements to legislation and urged research into amendments to the Law on the Elderly to provide a stronger legal foundation for the association's work.

Greater attention should be paid to older people living alone or in difficult circumstances, as well as those in remote, mountainous and ethnic community areas, she said.

Local authorities should create opportunities for older people to participate in public affairs, including contributing to Party and government building, grassroots mediation, maintaining public security, educating younger generations and strengthening national solidarity.

VFF and socio-political organisations should strengthen coordination and oversight while listening to and conveying the legitimate concerns and aspirations of older people, she added.

Nguyễn Thanh Bình, chairman of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly, said older Vietnamese people had continued to contribute to economic development, new-style rural development, environmental protection, public security and the education of younger generations.

Older people are not only a group in need of care, but also an extremely valuable social resource, he said.

Members of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly for the 2026–2031 term make their debut at the Congress.

The congress adopted the theme 'Solidarity, Exemplary Conduct, Breakthrough and Development' and set out goals for the association's 2026-2031 term.

The organisation said it would build on 85 years of tradition, strengthen its role in protecting and caring for older people, promote their contribution to society and develop the silver economy.

Hoài expressed confidence that older Vietnamese people would continue to uphold the saying 'old in age, exemplary in conduct', and contribute to the country's development. — VNS