VietNamNet Bridge – The first and probably the only rest-home so far in Vietnam meeting the European standards, which are often referred to as "Rest-home for Overseas Vietnamese," is strangely quiet.

The Overseas Vietnamese Rest-home is beautiful but empty. Photo: Tien Phong

Out of "paradise"

Unexpectedly, when we paid a visit to the Ba Thuong Rest-home in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, we saw a young couple posing for their wedding photos since the landscapes here are very beautiful, like a luxurious resort.

Houses for the elderly are built separately, with four rooms, opening to four sides. Each room is more than 20 square meters equipped with a television, a refrigerator, an air conditioner as a hotel room. Each elderly is served with his/her own menu and their health are monitored by trained nursing staff 24/7.

Ms. Giang, a nursing staff member in the village, said: "There are both Vietnamese and overseas Vietnamese elderly here. The village was built in 2007 and it has experienced many ups and downs. The oldest member is 92 years old, from Saigon. Other people are over 70.”

The customers of this village are overseas Vietnamese elderly or Vietnamese old people whose children live overseas. They like the atmosphere and conditions here but they do not choose the place as their last place because this model is too new in Vietnam and the price is not cheap.

They often live here for several months or up to a year. A few people stayed here for four years. Most of them are widows and widowers but there is also a couple living here.

"They just come and go. Some have to return to their home overseas to receive allowances and then come back while some cannot come back. We often receive letters sent from the U.S. and Europe, to thank the care of the village," Giang said.

Mrs. Long has been here for four years. This year she is 83 years old. She likes the atmosphere in Vietnam. In her home country, she can hear Vietnamese daily, chat with others and enjoy favorite cuisines. It's much different when she was in America. But when we came, she was preparing to leave the village. "They announced to temporarily receive clients to change the business model," her relative said.

The village is now deserted though it is very beautiful. A woman of nearly 60 years old from Tay Ninh, who came here to visit his mother, said: "The village manager asked us to take our parents home for repair and upgrade. We have houses here but how about those who do not have ahouse in Vietnam?" She said the majority of elderly here had left the village.

So big dream?

An old man is going to leave Ba Thuong village.

Mr. Tung, chief executive of Ba Thuong Village for seven years, said: "Investing in the village is huge but the income is insignificant. We cannot maintain the old model anymore."

According to Tung, not many Vietnamese elderly came to the village because of the old thinking of the Vietnamese. "The thought of the Vietnamese is still old. Overseas Vietnamese are open but we cannot only serve overseas Vietnamese. Moreover, we cannot apply two prices for the Vietnamese elderly and the overseas Vietnamese elderly," he explained.

The current price is VND8 million ($400)/person/month. Tung said that this price is high for Vietnamese customers but the village still incurs losses. “We have more than 80 rooms, but there are only just over ten customers," he added.

After five years in use, rooms started degrading. Mr. Hai, a guard, said: "Many people believe that VND8 million per month is too high compared to the living standards of the elderly in Vietnam so the village does not have many customers. Some overseas Vietnamese also said that not all overseas Vietnamese elderly are rich. In fact, many overseas Vietnamese elderly were afford to stay here for several months and then return to the US and Europe."

The village has been sold to an overseas Vietnamese doctor. "Previously this is the rest-home for the elderly but I will turn it into a resort, with a new name King Dong Village because this place has the Dong Canal."

The new owner is a Vietnamese French. He said: "This is the only rest-home in Vietnam that meets European standards. In France there are over 4,000 villages like this."

The new owner said he was building a golf course, tennis courts, swimming pools and other facilities to welcome overseas Vietnamese who return home to visit their parents and other visitors.

The village will open again later this year.

Tien Phong