Managing Power Interruptions in Residential Long-Term Care in Viet Nam: Essential Care, Backup Arrangements and Safe Service Recovery

Managing Power Interruptions in Residential Long-Term Care in Viet Nam: Essential Care, Backup Arrangements and Safe Service Recovery

Long-Term Care Quality | Measurement, Implementation & Learning

Last reviewed: November 3, 2026

The electricity suddenly goes out in a residential care facility during the evening. Emergency lights come on in some areas, but the elevator stops working, and several residents can no longer use the usual call system to request assistance. A care worker notices that an older resident's electrically powered medical device has stopped operating. Meanwhile, the maintenance team is trying to determine whether the interruption affects the entire building or only part of its electrical system.

The facility has a backup generator, so staff initially expect normal operations to resume quickly. However, nobody is certain which circuits are connected to the generator or whether all the services essential to residents will remain available.

Electricity may return within a short time, but the interruption has already exposed important questions about the reliability of care. Which residents depend on electricity for essential support? What happens when communication systems, elevators, or electrically powered devices become unavailable? Can staff continue meeting residents' needs while the problem is investigated? How will the organization know that affected services are safe to use when power returns?

These questions extend beyond the responsibilities of the maintenance department. They concern the ability of a residential care organization to protect older people when a basic service supporting everyday care is interrupted.

For residential long-term care providers in Viet Nam, managing power interruptions requires an understanding of which services depend on electricity, how different residents may be affected, what backup arrangements can realistically provide, and how essential care will continue until normal operations are safely restored.

A generator may be an important part of that preparation. What ultimately matters, however, is whether residents continue to receive appropriate care when the electricity they normally depend on becomes unavailable.

Electricity Supports More Care Activities Than We May Realize

Electricity is woven into almost every part of modern residential care.

Lighting helps residents move through bedrooms, bathrooms, corridors, and shared spaces. Communication systems allow people to request assistance. Elevators provide access between floors, while electrically powered beds, mobility equipment, ventilation systems, water pumps, and other building services support everyday activities.

Facilities may also depend on electricity for preparing and storing food, operating laundry services, maintaining electronic records, communicating with families, and managing essential supplies.

The consequences of losing these functions vary considerably. A temporary interruption to an administrative computer may be inconvenient, while the failure of a resident call system, essential lighting, or medically necessary equipment may require immediate action.

The World Health Organization's Electricity in Health-Care Facilities fact sheet, updated on October 14, 2026, identifies reliable electricity as essential to safe healthcare. It highlights the role of electricity in lighting, communication, clean water supply, and the operation of important medical equipment.

Although WHO's discussion focuses on healthcare facilities rather than residential long-term care specifically, the relationship between electricity and service reliability is relevant to organizations caring for older people.

The level of dependence differs between facilities. Some residential providers primarily offer accommodation, meals, companionship, and assistance with daily activities. Others operate licensed healthcare services or support residents with complex medical needs.

A facility offering general personal care may have different electricity requirements from one accommodating residents who depend on ventilators, oxygen concentrators, or other electrically powered medical equipment.

Preparedness should therefore begin with the services actually provided.

Management needs to understand which functions depend on electricity, what each function supports, who relies on it, and what would happen if it became unavailable.

This goes beyond maintaining an inventory of electrical appliances. It involves understanding how the loss of electricity could affect the organization's ability to deliver the care it has agreed to provide.

The Impact of a Power Failure Depends on the Residents

A power interruption does not affect every older person in the same way.

A resident who walks independently may remain comfortable and safe in a familiar, adequately illuminated ground-floor area. Another person may depend on an adjustable electric bed, powered mobility equipment, or assistance involving electrically operated devices.

Residents with visual impairment may find it more difficult to move safely when lighting changes. People with hearing impairment may be affected when familiar communication systems stop functioning.

Someone living with dementia or another cognitive condition may become distressed when lighting, ventilation, or established routines suddenly change.

These differences mean that a single building-wide interruption can create very different needs among residents.

Some people may require reassurance and practical assistance. Others may need closer observation, alternative communication methods, or changes to their usual care arrangements. A smaller group may face immediate clinical risks if equipment essential to their treatment loses power.

An effective continuity arrangement should reflect these individual circumstances.

A resident who did not require powered equipment when admitted may begin using it following a change in health. Another person may recover independence and no longer require the same assistance.

Changes in mobility, cognition, medical treatment, or functional dependency can alter the consequences of a power interruption.

Facilities should therefore connect continuity planning with current resident information rather than rely solely on equipment lists prepared when someone first entered the service.

The purpose is not to classify every resident as highly vulnerable simply because of age. It is to recognize the particular circumstances that may place an individual at risk when a necessary service becomes unavailable.

Residents Who Depend on Powered Medical Equipment Need Individual Plans

Some residential facilities accommodate people whose medical care depends on equipment requiring a continuous or sufficiently reliable electricity supply.

Examples may include prescribed oxygen concentrators, ventilators, suction devices, or other electrically powered medical equipment, depending on the organization's services and the individual's clinical needs.

These devices cannot be treated as interchangeable. Their functions, power requirements, available batteries, alarms, and clinically appropriate alternatives may differ considerably.

For one resident, a short interruption may be manageable through an established, clinically appropriate backup arrangement. For another, loss of a particular device may require immediate professional intervention.

These distinctions cannot be resolved safely through a general instruction to use backup power.

The responsible healthcare professionals should establish what interruption of the device means for the resident, which alternatives are medically appropriate, and what action is necessary if the equipment cannot continue operating.

Relevant technical specialists may need to confirm the device's electrical requirements, compatibility with backup systems, power-transfer arrangements, and operating limitations.

Care workers should understand how to recognize when a device has stopped operating and how to activate the resident's established clinical escalation arrangements. They should not independently substitute devices, change prescribed therapy, or improvise clinical alternatives beyond their lawful professional scope.

Where interruption of essential equipment presents an immediate threat, urgent medical assistance should be sought in accordance with the individual's care arrangements and applicable emergency procedures. In Viet Nam, emergency medical assistance can be requested through 115.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes the importance of advance planning for people who depend on electrically powered medical equipment. Its Power Sources guidance, updated in April 2024, encourages preparation for emergency lighting, appropriate backup power, and other essential needs during electricity failures.

These principles can inform residential care planning, although the correct arrangements for an individual medical device require qualified clinical and technical assessment.

A facility should also distinguish between connecting equipment to backup electricity and confirming that it is operating as intended.

A device may experience a brief interruption while power transfers between sources. A battery may provide limited operating time, and a generator may serve only selected circuits.

The presence of backup equipment should never be interpreted as unlimited protection.

For residents with electricity-dependent medical needs, the critical question is whether a clinically appropriate arrangement can be maintained for the period during which normal power remains unavailable.

Planned Interruptions and Unexpected Failures Require Different Preparation

Electricity may be interrupted for reasons that have little to do with major emergencies.

Scheduled utility maintenance, electrical repairs, equipment failure, or a fault affecting one part of a building may interrupt normal services.

An external outage may affect an entire neighborhood, while an internal fault may affect only one floor or a limited group of circuits.

Planned interruptions provide an opportunity to prepare.

Management can identify affected services, explain relevant changes to residents and staff, coordinate technical work, and arrange suitable alternatives before electricity is disconnected.

If an essential device or care activity will be affected, the necessary support should be considered before the work begins.

Unexpected failures offer much less preparation time. They may occur at night, during periods of reduced staffing, or when maintenance personnel are not immediately available.

In these circumstances, staff need to recognize that an interruption has occurred, determine which services are affected, and identify residents who may require urgent assistance.

It is important not to assume that every power failure affects the whole building. A generator may be running while a particular circuit remains unavailable. Some essential systems may continue operating while other equipment stops.

The cause and expected duration may remain uncertain for some time.

Care decisions should therefore be based on the services actually available and the needs of residents rather than optimistic assumptions about how quickly electricity will return.

Where a critical function is unavailable, appropriate action may be needed even if the utility provider expects restoration shortly.

Backup Electricity Must Support the Services That Matter

Backup generators, battery systems, and uninterruptible power supplies can form an important part of a facility's continuity arrangements.

However, owning such equipment does not establish that every essential function will remain available during an outage.

A generator may supply only designated circuits. A battery system may support selected equipment for a limited period. An uninterruptible power supply may help bridge a short interruption but may not be designed for prolonged operation.

The organization needs to understand what each system can support and where its limitations lie.

This issue received significant attention in the United States in April 2026.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General published Most Nursing Homes Throughout the United States Do Not Have Adequate or Reliable Emergency Power Systems, report A-02-23-01022.

The audit identified emergency power system deficiencies at 72 of the 100 sampled nursing homes. These included deficiencies involving generator maintenance, electrical circuit coverage, and aging equipment.

Based on the statistical sample, the Office of Inspector General estimated that approximately 73% of the 15,115 nursing homes in its nationwide study population had inadequate or unreliable emergency power systems.

This estimate concerns the United States nursing homes represented by the audit. It is not a measured failure rate in Viet Nam and should not be used to describe the condition of Vietnamese residential care facilities.

Nevertheless, the findings illustrate an important weakness that organizations elsewhere should consider.

A facility may possess emergency power equipment without reliable evidence that it will support the services for which it is needed during an actual interruption.

A generator that starts during a routine test may not supply a necessary elevator, communication system, or medical device if the relevant circuit is not connected.

Similarly, a battery may function correctly but provide insufficient operating time for a prolonged failure.

Competent technical personnel should establish what the backup system actually supports, its operating capacity, condition, maintenance requirements, transfer arrangements, and foreseeable limitations.

These assessments need to reflect the building, its approved technical arrangements, and the services provided.

For management, the important information is not simply whether backup equipment exists. It is which essential activities can continue, for how long under the assessed conditions, and what alternative arrangements may be needed when backup capacity is insufficient.

Backup Arrangements Must Not Create New Hazards

Attempts to restore electricity can introduce additional risks when they are not properly planned.

Portable generators and other fuel-powered equipment can produce carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas capable of causing serious illness or death.

The CDC's Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning guidance, updated on August 26, 2026, warns against operating generators or other fuel-burning equipment indoors or near doors, windows, and ventilation openings through which exhaust gases may enter occupied spaces.

Such hazards are particularly concerning in residential care because some residents may be unable to recognize danger or move away without assistance.

Other risks can arise from unsuitable electrical connections, overloaded equipment, inappropriate extension cables, fuel handling, overheating, or unauthorized alterations to electrical installations.

These activities require appropriate technical competence.

Backup systems should be designed, installed, inspected, tested, maintained, and operated in accordance with applicable Vietnamese legal and technical requirements and relevant manufacturer instructions.

Care workers should not be expected to connect generators to building electrical systems, modify circuits, bypass protective devices, or operate unfamiliar technical equipment beyond their training and assigned responsibilities.

The facility should identify the people authorized to manage its backup systems and establish how qualified technical assistance can be obtained.

Where external contractors are involved, responsibilities should be clarified through appropriate legal and contractual arrangements.

Engaging a contractor does not remove the organization's need to understand whether the agreed arrangements are suitable for the services it provides.

A backup system should protect residents and maintain necessary functions without introducing new hazards.

Communication Must Continue When Electronic Systems Fail

One of the less obvious consequences of a power interruption is the loss of familiar communication methods.

Resident call systems may stop operating or function only in selected parts of a building. Internal telephones, wireless networks, and internet-based communication may also become unavailable.

Staff may lose access to electronic care records, duty schedules, or contact information.

These problems can affect the facility's ability to recognize and respond to residents who require assistance.

A resident who normally presses a call button may no longer be able to alert workers. Another person may not understand why familiar equipment has stopped functioning.

The facility needs an appropriate way for residents to request help and for staff to recognize unmet needs while normal systems are unavailable.

The solution depends on residents' communication abilities, the layout of the building, staffing arrangements, and the extent of the interruption.

Some facilities may use alternative communication devices. Others may temporarily adjust staff observation and assistance arrangements, particularly for residents who cannot reliably request help independently.

These measures should be proportionate to the circumstances.

The aim is to ensure that communication failures do not leave residents without appropriate assistance, while avoiding unnecessary intrusion into their privacy.

Where electronic records become inaccessible, authorized workers may need an alternative way to obtain information essential to safe care.

Any temporary records or communication arrangements should preserve confidentiality and comply with relevant information protection requirements. Information created during the interruption should be reconciled appropriately when normal systems are restored.

A prolonged interruption may also require communication with families or legally authorized representatives, particularly when care arrangements change significantly.

Information should be accurate, relevant, and understandable. Families need to know about important changes affecting the person receiving care rather than receive speculative explanations about the technical cause of the failure.

A communication plan is useful when it gives staff and residents a dependable alternative, not merely when it identifies another device that may also depend on electricity.

Mobility, Accessibility, and Evacuation May Be Affected

Electricity supports much of the infrastructure that makes residential environments accessible.

An elevator may stop working, leaving some residents unable to move between floors. Electrically powered beds or transfer equipment may become unavailable, while reduced lighting can make ordinary movement more difficult.

These changes can also affect workers who provide physical assistance.

A task that is normally completed safely using appropriate equipment may become difficult or hazardous when that equipment is unavailable.

The response should not involve improvised manual lifting or the use of devices outside their intended operating conditions.

Alternative assistance needs to reflect the resident's assessed requirements, the competence of staff, available equipment, and relevant professional instructions.

Evacuation presents a related but distinct consideration.

A power failure does not automatically mean that every resident must leave the building. However, it may affect lighting, access systems, movement between floors, and equipment that could be important if another emergency occurs.

The use of elevators during emergencies must follow the building's approved arrangements and applicable technical and fire safety requirements.

An ordinary passenger elevator should not be assumed suitable for emergency evacuation merely because some backup electricity is available.

Residents unable to use stairs independently may require specialized assistance under the facility's lawful and technically appropriate emergency arrangements.

These needs should be considered before an emergency rather than discovered when normal access systems have already failed.

The objective is to maintain safe movement and accessibility while avoiding actions that create additional risks for residents or workers.

Indoor Conditions Can Become Unsafe During Prolonged Outages

Electricity also supports temperature control, ventilation, and other building systems that influence residents' comfort and health.

In Viet Nam, loss of air-conditioning or mechanical ventilation may become significant during periods of high heat and humidity.

Some buildings depend heavily on mechanical cooling, while others allow more natural airflow.

The consequences of an interruption therefore depend on the building's characteristics, actual indoor conditions, the duration of the outage, and the needs of residents.

Older people with limited mobility, certain medical conditions, or impaired temperature regulation may be particularly vulnerable to excessive heat.

Some medications may also influence a person's response to hot conditions.

The CDC's Heat and Medications — Guidance for Clinicians, updated in September 2025, discusses how certain medications can affect hydration, temperature regulation, and the risk of heat-related illness.

This guidance provides useful clinical context. It does not establish a universal indoor temperature threshold for all Vietnamese residential care facilities.

Organizations should avoid assuming that every brief cooling interruption creates the same degree of danger.

At the same time, prolonged exposure to unsuitable indoor conditions should not be considered harmless simply because residents remain inside the building.

Care workers should recognize changes suggesting discomfort or possible deterioration and seek appropriate professional assessment when necessary.

Decisions about altering prescribed medications or treatment must remain with authorized healthcare professionals.

Technical personnel should address ventilation and cooling systems within their competence.

Management needs to coordinate these responsibilities so that residents receive assistance appropriate to actual environmental conditions.

Food, Medicines, and Temperature-Sensitive Supplies Require Attention

Power interruptions may affect products that depend on refrigeration, freezing, or other controlled storage conditions.

Food safety is one concern.

A prolonged interruption can compromise the storage of ingredients, prepared meals, and other perishable products.

The appropriate response depends on the actual storage temperature, duration of exposure, product characteristics, and applicable food safety requirements.

The fact that a refrigerator begins operating again does not automatically mean that everything stored inside remains suitable for use.

Medicines and other healthcare products require separate consideration.

Certain medications, vaccines, and other temperature-sensitive products must be kept within specified conditions to maintain their quality and suitability.

The appropriate response depends on the product, its storage requirements, actual temperature exposure, and the duration of the interruption.

The CDC's Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit, updated on July 14, 2026, provides an example of emergency storage planning, temperature monitoring, and assessment of vaccines affected by temperatures outside the recommended range.

Its guidance emphasizes that vaccines exposed to inappropriate temperatures should not be used until their suitability has been appropriately established through the relevant manufacturer, public health, or professional processes.

These recommendations are issued within a specific United States healthcare framework. They do not establish identical legal procedures for every medication or residential care facility in Viet Nam.

Organizations should understand which temperature-sensitive products they hold and who is responsible for assessing them following an interruption.

Where product suitability is uncertain, advice may be required from a qualified pharmacist, healthcare professional, manufacturer, supplier, or competent authority.

Non-clinical care workers should not independently decide that a medicine remains effective merely because the storage equipment has restarted.

Restoring refrigeration is an equipment issue. Establishing whether affected products remain suitable for use is a separate responsibility.

Essential Care Should Guide Decisions During Prolonged Interruptions

Some electricity failures are resolved quickly. Others last long enough to require changes to the way care is organized.

Not every activity can necessarily continue in its usual form.

Certain administrative tasks or nonessential activities may be postponed. Other functions, including access to assistance, necessary personal care, food and fluids, appropriate indoor conditions, and time-sensitive healthcare services, may need to continue through alternative arrangements.

The organization should distinguish between activities that must continue, those that can be modified safely, and those that cannot be delivered under the prevailing conditions.

These decisions should reflect residents' individual needs.

Most residents may remain safe with adjustments to ordinary support, while a smaller number may require urgent assistance because of dependence on particular medical devices or environmental conditions.

The same response will not necessarily be suitable for everyone.

In England, the Care Quality Commission's Business Continuity Plan guidance, updated on February 2, 2026, identifies power cuts among the disruptions that care providers should consider when preparing continuity arrangements.

The guidance emphasizes essential services, clear responsibilities, communication, and practical preparations for interruptions.

It forms part of the CQC's regulatory and new provider registration context in England. It should not be presented as imposing identical legal obligations on residential care organizations in Viet Nam.

Nevertheless, its principles are useful for organizational preparedness.

A continuity arrangement should help the facility recognize when normal care cannot be maintained, determine who coordinates the response, and establish how necessary assistance will continue.

Where an interruption exceeds the organization's capacity to provide safe care, external assistance or temporary alternative arrangements may be necessary.

A decision to transfer or relocate a resident must take account of the person's needs, the urgency of the situation, available receiving services, and applicable legal and professional responsibilities.

The existence of an electricity failure does not automatically justify moving every resident.

Equally, the presence of a generator does not justify keeping people in conditions that can no longer be maintained safely.

Such decisions require proportionate assessment and coordination.

Safe Recovery Is More Than Restoring Electricity

When normal electricity returns, staff may understandably want to resume ordinary activities as quickly as possible.

However, restoration of the power supply does not necessarily establish that every affected system is ready for use.

Some equipment may require inspection or appropriate resetting by authorized personnel. Devices that stopped unexpectedly may need technical or professional assessment.

Communication systems, elevators, electrical outlets serving essential equipment, and other infrastructure may also need confirmation that they are functioning correctly.

Temperature-sensitive supplies may require separate evaluation.

Electronic information may need review if records were maintained through temporary arrangements during the interruption.

The recovery process should reflect the nature of the event.

A short utility outage without apparent equipment problems may require a relatively straightforward review.

A major electrical fault, water damage involving electrical installations, or failure of a generator or distribution system may require more extensive technical assessment.

The organization should know who is authorized to determine whether affected equipment and systems can safely resume operation.

Electrical installations and technical equipment must be assessed by competent personnel where required.

Medical devices need to be managed according to applicable professional requirements and manufacturer instructions.

Care workers also need to consider whether any activities were delayed, interrupted, or left incomplete.

A resident may have missed a scheduled assistance activity. An essential medical procedure may have been interrupted and referred for clinical assessment. A device may remain unavailable despite the restoration of electricity.

These outstanding matters should not disappear when the facility returns to its ordinary schedule.

Safe recovery involves restoring care processes as well as technical services.

A facility that resumes normal operations without reviewing affected functions may overlook problems that developed while electricity was unavailable.

Technical Safety and Care Continuity Have Different Responsibilities

Managing power interruptions requires coordination between people with different areas of expertise.

Facility managers, building owners, electrical contractors, utility providers, care managers, and healthcare professionals may all have roles.

These responsibilities are connected, but they are not interchangeable.

Electrical specialists perform activities requiring appropriate technical competence and authorization. Healthcare professionals make clinical decisions within their lawful professional scope.

Care workers provide assistance, recognize changes, and communicate concerns according to their training and assigned responsibilities.

Management coordinates these contributions and determines which services the organization can safely continue delivering.

For example, a technician may confirm that electricity has returned to a circuit. That confirmation does not establish that a resident's medical device is functioning appropriately or that a previously interrupted care activity has been completed.

Similarly, a care manager may recognize that an essential service is unavailable without having the expertise to diagnose or repair the underlying electrical fault.

These boundaries should be understood before an interruption occurs.

Where a facility occupies a leased building or shares infrastructure with other organizations, responsibilities for electrical maintenance, access, emergency arrangements, and technical services should be clarified through applicable legal and contractual arrangements.

A building owner may be responsible for particular installations, while the care provider has responsibilities concerning the services it delivers to residents.

An external maintenance agreement does not automatically remove every legal or operational responsibility of the care organization.

Reliable continuity arrangements depend on knowing who is responsible for each decision and how those responsibilities connect, especially outside normal working hours.

Viet Nam's Legal and Regulatory Framework

Power continuity in residential long-term care must be considered within Viet Nam's electricity, building safety, fire prevention, and service-related legal frameworks.

The Law on Electricity No. 61/2024/QH15 was issued on November 30, 2024, and took effect on February 1, 2025.

The Office of the National Assembly issued Consolidated Document No. 07/VBHN-VPQH on February 5, 2026, providing a consolidated reference to the Law on Electricity as amended.

Government Decree No. 62/2025/ND-CP, issued and effective on March 4, 2025, provides detailed provisions concerning the protection of electrical works and safety in electricity-related activities.

These instruments form part of the legal framework for electrical safety. Their specific application to a residential care organization depends on the installations, activities, and responsibilities involved.

Fire prevention, firefighting, and rescue requirements must also be considered.

The Law on Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue No. 55/2024/QH15 took effect on July 1, 2025.

Consolidated Document No. 58/VBHN-VPQH, issued on March 23, 2026, provides a consolidated reference incorporating relevant amendments.

Government Decree No. 105/2025/ND-CP, effective July 1, 2025, details certain provisions and implementation measures concerning fire prevention, firefighting, and rescue.

Government Decree No. 347/2026/ND-CP, issued on September 8, 2026, and effective September 15, 2026, amended certain provisions of Decree No. 105/2025/ND-CP and other related regulations.

Organizations should therefore consider the applicable provisions as amended rather than rely solely on the original 2025 regulatory texts.

Depending on a building's classification, design, scale, functions, approved technical arrangements, and activities, relevant construction regulations, fire safety requirements, and technical standards may establish additional obligations.

Where a residential care provider also operates licensed healthcare services, the legal and professional requirements governing those services and their equipment must also be considered.

These legal instruments should not be interpreted as imposing an identical backup electricity system on every residential care facility in Viet Nam.

It would be inappropriate to state that every care home must install a generator, use a particular type of uninterruptible power supply, or maintain the same duration of backup electricity without determining the technical and legal requirements applicable to that facility.

Some buildings or systems may be subject to mandatory emergency or standby power requirements under applicable regulations, approved designs, or technical standards. Those requirements must be assessed by appropriately qualified professionals.

The distinction between mandatory technical compliance and organizational continuity planning is important.

A facility may satisfy certain electrical installation requirements while still needing better arrangements for recognizing and responding to disruptions affecting essential care.

Conversely, a continuity plan cannot replace mandatory electrical, construction, or fire safety compliance.

Organizations should seek qualified engineering and legal advice when assessing their obligations or modifying electrical infrastructure.

The purpose of this discussion is to support risk awareness, organizational preparedness, and quality improvement rather than establish technical specifications for electrical systems.

The Regulatory Framework for Social Assistance Facilities Is Also Changing

Residential long-term care organizations in Viet Nam operate under different legal arrangements.

Some are classified as social assistance facilities. Others provide residential support through different service models, and some also operate licensed healthcare activities.

The applicable requirements depend on the organization's legal classification and actual services.

Government Decree No. 395/2026/ND-CP on the operation and management of social assistance facilities was issued on October 23, 2026.

It is scheduled to take effect on December 7, 2026.

As of November 3, 2026, Decree No. 103/2017/ND-CP, as applicable and amended, remains part of the current framework for facilities within its scope.

Organizations preparing for the new decree should review the operating and facility management requirements relevant to their classification and activities.

However, Decree 395 does not replace specialized electricity, construction, fire safety, or healthcare legislation.

Nor should it be interpreted as establishing a single universal generator specification, emergency electrical arrangement, or backup duration for every residential care organization.

Facility management responsibilities and specialized technical obligations need to be considered together while preserving their distinct legal purposes.

International Standards Offer Quality Principles, Not Electrical Specifications

International guidance provides useful reference points for understanding electricity-related risks and improving organizational preparedness.

WHO's October 2026 electricity fact sheet emphasizes the importance of reliable power for essential healthcare services.

The joint WHO and UNICEF report Essential Services for Quality Care: Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Health Care Waste and Electricity Services in Health Care Facilities — Global Progress Report, published on September 24, 2025, similarly highlights the importance of basic infrastructure in safe healthcare delivery.

WHO's 2020 guidance on climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities provides a broader framework for anticipating, responding to, and recovering from climate-related hazards.

These publications principally concern healthcare facilities.

Their findings can inform residential long-term care planning, but they should not be interpreted as evidence that every care home has the same infrastructure requirements as a hospital.

ISO 25557:2026, Ageing Societies — Care Quality for Older Persons at Home and in Care Facilities, provides a different type of international reference.

Published in March 2026, it specifies requirements and recommendations for health and social care services provided to older people at home and in care facilities.

Its principles emphasize individual needs, safety, self-determination, organizational accountability, workforce competence, and coordination.

These considerations are relevant when interruptions to basic services affect residents' care.

However, ISO 25557 expressly excludes standardization of clinical guidelines, medical devices, and building codes, including engineering and structural requirements.

It should not be described as an electrical installation standard, generator specification, or mandatory technical continuity standard.

For providers in Viet Nam, the appropriate approach is to meet applicable national legal and technical requirements while drawing on relevant international experience to improve care reliability and organizational preparedness.

Testing Should Reveal Whether the Plan Works

A continuity plan may appear complete on paper while depending on assumptions that have never been tested.

Workers may believe that all resident call systems have backup electricity when only selected areas are protected.

A maintenance team may know how to activate a generator, while care workers remain uncertain about which services will continue after it starts.

Contact lists may be outdated, designated personnel may be unavailable, or alternative equipment may not be accessible during an interruption.

These weaknesses often remain unnoticed until an actual event occurs.

The United States Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services identifies risk assessment and emergency planning, policies and procedures, communication, and training and testing as core components of emergency preparedness for participating provider types, including long-term care facilities.

These principles can inform organizational learning, although the corresponding United States regulatory obligations do not automatically apply to providers in Viet Nam.

Testing should be proportionate to the facility's services and risks.

An organization may review a simulated interruption, discuss how workers would respond to the loss of a particular service, or conduct an appropriately planned exercise involving relevant care and technical personnel.

Technical testing of electrical installations, generators, transfer systems, and batteries must be performed under suitable professional supervision and applicable safety requirements.

Care workers should not intentionally disconnect essential equipment or expose residents to avoidable risks merely to demonstrate that a plan works.

Exercises should examine more than whether a generator starts.

They should establish whether workers can identify affected services, recognize residents needing additional support, maintain communication, and obtain appropriate assistance when normal arrangements fail.

The organization should also consider how it would determine that affected services can safely resume.

Findings need to lead to corrective action.

A weakness identified repeatedly during exercises but never addressed does not demonstrate effective preparedness.

Testing is most useful when it exposes unrealistic assumptions before residents depend on those arrangements during a real interruption.

Measuring Continuity Through the Care Residents Receive

A residential care provider may record how often electricity is interrupted and how long each outage lasts.

These measures are useful, but they do not fully describe the consequences for residents.

Two interruptions of equal duration may have very different effects.

One may affect an administrative office without disrupting care. Another may disable a resident call system, essential lighting, or an electrically powered medical device.

A more meaningful quality review considers which functions were affected and whether appropriate support was maintained.

Depending on the facility, management may examine whether essential electricity-dependent services have been identified, whether backup arrangements have been evaluated, and whether identified deficiencies have been corrected.

It may also review how quickly an interruption was recognized, whether appropriate escalation occurred, and whether particular residents experienced disruption to essential care.

Recovery measures may examine whether affected systems were checked, outstanding care activities were addressed, and significant safety concerns were appropriately resolved.

Incident and near-miss reporting can provide additional information.

A generator defect found during inspection, an unprotected essential circuit, or a call system failure detected before a resident is harmed may reveal a serious vulnerability.

Such findings should not be dismissed simply because an adverse outcome did not occur.

Interpretation remains important.

A facility reporting no power-related incidents is not necessarily well prepared if workers do not recognize or report weaknesses.

Similarly, completing scheduled generator maintenance does not establish that every essential care activity can continue safely during an actual outage.

Useful measures connect technical assurance with organizational readiness and residents' experiences.

There is no single set of generator operating times, backup capacities, or numerical quality indicators appropriate for all residential care facilities.

Technical requirements must be determined according to applicable law, competent assessments, and the services provided.

Quality improvement measures should help an organization understand whether it can maintain necessary care, not merely whether equipment has passed a routine test.

Building a Practical Approach for Residential Care in Viet Nam

Residential long-term care providers in Viet Nam differ in building design, resources, staffing, equipment, and services.

A smaller facility occupying part of a mixed-use building may have different technical and contractual arrangements from a purpose-built residential care center operating across several floors.

A provider offering general personal assistance may have different electricity dependencies from an organization supporting residents with complex medical needs.

These differences should influence continuity planning.

Nevertheless, each organization can examine how losing electricity would affect its ability to deliver the services it has agreed to provide.

The starting point is understanding which activities are essential, which residents may be particularly affected, and which alternatives can realistically be used when normal power becomes unavailable.

Management then needs to establish how workers recognize an interruption, who coordinates the response, and when technical or clinical assistance is required.

The facility should also understand its limitations.

An organization should not describe a backup arrangement as reliable without appropriate evidence of what it can support.

Nor should it assume that another provider, building owner, or emergency service will necessarily be available unless relevant arrangements have been established or can reasonably be accessed.

Preparedness should evolve as services develop.

A facility that begins accommodating residents who depend on electrically powered medical equipment may require different technical and clinical arrangements from those suitable when it provided only general personal care.

Similarly, installing new communication systems or modifying building infrastructure may create dependencies that did not previously exist.

Continuity arrangements should therefore reflect current services and resident needs rather than remain unchanged after conditions have evolved.

The purpose is not to turn every residential care organization into a hospital or require every provider to operate a large emergency power system.

It is to ensure that the organization's commitments to residents remain realistic when foreseeable interruptions occur.

Reliable Electricity Matters Because Reliable Care Matters

Electricity is part of the infrastructure of modern residential care, but its importance is ultimately measured through the people who depend on it.

For one resident, a power interruption may mean being unable to use a call button or reach another floor. For someone else, it may affect equipment that supports mobility, comfort, or an essential medical function.

A residential care organization cannot prevent every external electricity failure.

It can, however, understand its dependencies, maintain appropriate safeguards, and prepare realistic arrangements for supporting residents when normal services are disrupted.

A backup generator may be valuable, but owning one does not necessarily mean that essential care can continue.

The important questions are whether necessary services remain available, whether residents receive appropriate assistance, and whether the organization knows what to do when its planned arrangements are insufficient.

The return of electricity is also not the final measure of recovery.

Affected systems may require assessment, and care needs arising during the interruption must not be overlooked.

For residential long-term care providers in Viet Nam, these principles offer a practical way to strengthen organizational reliability while respecting the distinct responsibilities of care workers, healthcare professionals, technical specialists, and facility management.

The goal is not to promise that electricity will never fail. It is to reduce avoidable harm through realistic preparation, appropriate response, and safe restoration of essential services.

A resilient residential care facility is not necessarily one that never loses power. It is one that understands which aspects of care depend on electricity, protects residents when those services become unavailable, and can demonstrate that essential care has been restored safely and responsibly.

Key References and Regulatory Context

World Health Organization. (2026). Electricity in Health-Care Facilities. Fact sheet updated October 14, 2026.

World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund. (2025). Essential Services for Quality Care: Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Health Care Waste and Electricity Services in Health Care Facilities — Global Progress Report. Published September 24, 2025.

World Health Organization. (2020). WHO Guidance for Climate-Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facilities.

United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. (2026). Most Nursing Homes Throughout the United States Do Not Have Adequate or Reliable Emergency Power Systems. Report No. A-02-23-01022. April 2026.

Care Quality Commission, England. (2026). Business Continuity Plan. Guidance on supporting documents for new provider registration applications. Updated February 2, 2026.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, United States. Core Emergency Preparedness Rule Elements. Guidance concerning risk assessment, planning, communication, policies, procedures, training, and testing.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States. (2024). Power Sources. Prepare Your Health. Updated April 18, 2024.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States. (2026). Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Public safety guidance updated August 26, 2026.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States. (2025). Heat and Medications — Guidance for Clinicians. September 2025.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States. (2026). Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit. Updated July 14, 2026.

International Organization for Standardization. (2026). ISO 25557:2026 — Ageing Societies — Care Quality for Older Persons at Home and in Care Facilities. Published March 2026.

National Assembly of Viet Nam. (2024). Law on Electricity No. 61/2024/QH15, as amended. Issued November 30, 2024; effective February 1, 2025.

Office of the National Assembly of Viet Nam. (2026). Consolidated Document No. 07/VBHN-VPQH — Law on Electricity. Issued February 5, 2026.

Government of Viet Nam. (2025). Decree No. 62/2025/ND-CP Detailing the Implementation of the Law on Electricity Regarding the Protection of Electrical Works and Safety in Electricity-Related Activities. Issued and effective March 4, 2025.

National Assembly of Viet Nam. (2024). Law on Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue No. 55/2024/QH15, as amended. Issued November 29, 2024; effective July 1, 2025.

Office of the National Assembly of Viet Nam. (2026). Consolidated Document No. 58/VBHN-VPQH — Law on Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue. Issued March 23, 2026.

Government of Viet Nam. (2025). Decree No. 105/2025/ND-CP Detailing Certain Articles and Implementation Measures of the Law on Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue. Issued May 15, 2025; effective July 1, 2025.

Government of Viet Nam. (2026). Decree No. 347/2026/ND-CP Amending Certain Provisions of Decree No. 105/2025/ND-CP and Other Related Regulations. Issued September 8, 2026; effective September 15, 2026.

National Assembly of Viet Nam. (2023). Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15, as amended, and applicable implementing regulations.

Government of Viet Nam. (2017). Decree No. 103/2017/ND-CP on the Establishment, Organization, Operation, Dissolution and Management of Social Assistance Facilities, as amended and applicable.

Government of Viet Nam. (2026). Decree No. 395/2026/ND-CP on the Operation and Management of Social Assistance Facilities. Issued October 23, 2026; scheduled to take effect December 7, 2026.

About Healthy Longevity Vietnam

Healthy Longevity Vietnam (HLVN) is a VietnamWellcare initiative advancing evidence-informed and context-appropriate approaches to longer, healthier lives in Viet Nam. Its work connects prevention, healthy aging, care quality, health systems, implementation, and collaboration, with a focus on supporting health, function, participation, and well-being across the life course.

Within this broader mission, HLVN explores opportunities to improve the quality, safety, integration, and responsiveness of care for older people across healthcare, home, community, and long-term care settings.

Disclaimer

This article is intended for general educational, essential service continuity awareness, quality improvement, and organizational development purposes. It does not constitute individualized medical or legal advice, an electrical engineering specification, an equipment installation or operating procedure, an official regulatory interpretation, or a mandatory national emergency power standard for residential long-term care in Viet Nam.

The technical and legal requirements applicable to a residential care facility depend on its building classification, approved design, electrical installations, fire safety systems, equipment, authorized activities, resident population, and applicable Vietnamese laws and technical regulations.

This article does not establish a universal legal requirement that every residential care facility install a generator, provide a particular type of uninterruptible power supply, maintain a specified duration of backup electricity, or use the same emergency power configuration.

Electrical design, installation, connection, inspection, testing, maintenance, operation, and safe restoration must be performed or supervised by appropriately qualified and authorized personnel in accordance with applicable law, technical requirements, and manufacturer instructions.

Care workers should not undertake electrical modifications, unauthorized generator operations, or other technical activities beyond their training and responsibilities.

Clinical decisions involving electricity-dependent medical equipment, prescribed therapies, medication suitability, medical device alternatives, or individual health risks must remain with appropriately qualified healthcare professionals.

The organizational practices discussed in this article are evidence-informed quality improvement considerations. They do not automatically constitute statutory requirements applicable to every residential care provider.

The Law on Electricity No. 61/2024/QH15 and the Law on Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue No. 55/2024/QH15 must be interpreted together with their applicable amendments and implementing regulations, including relevant changes introduced during 2026.

Decree No. 395/2026/ND-CP was issued on October 23, 2026, and is scheduled to take effect on December 7, 2026. It must not be treated as legally effective before that date or as replacing specialized electricity, construction, fire safety, or healthcare regulations.

International guidance, including WHO publications, CDC recommendations, CMS emergency preparedness principles, CQC guidance, and ISO 25557:2026, is provided for education and quality improvement. These sources do not automatically establish binding legal, engineering, accreditation, or operational requirements for residential care organizations in Viet Nam.

Residential care providers should develop arrangements appropriate to their facilities and services, consulting qualified electrical engineers, fire safety specialists, healthcare professionals, facility managers, legal advisers, and competent authorities where necessary.

Information and regulatory context reviewed as of November 3, 2026.