Aging population also goes with prevalence and correlates of chronic non-infectious diseases in an elderly population.

The Central Geriatric Hospital in Hanoi is always crowded with patients; some of them are escorted by their relatives.

A 71 year old inpatient in Hanoi often seeks doctors for medicine though he has taken medication already. He is diagnosed with memory loss.

Meantime, Bach Mai Hospital’s Mental Health institute, medical workers said that there has been a rise in people with brain disorder.

More importantly, most senior citizens go to the institute to treat another illness not brain disorders but doctors find out they also suffer brain disorders.

Head of Mental Health institute Tran Thi Ha An shared the proportion of Vietnamese elderly people suffering brain disorders increase gradually especially those above 65.

Researches have showed that around 4.8 percent – 5 percent of people over 60 ( or around 500,000) suffer from mental problems.

The most popular brain disorder is Alzheimer accounting for 60 percent – 80 percent of the whole elderly population. Globally, 50 million people suffer brain disorders.

Relatives of elderly people who have symptoms of brain disorders should take them to medical facilities for early treatment.

According to the World Health Organization, around US$800 billion is yearly spent globally treating elderly people with brain disorders and it will be US$2 trillion by 2030. SGGP

Dan Thuy