Safe Moving and Handling of Older People in Viet Nam: Individualized Risk Assessment, Appropriate Equipment and Care-Worker Safety Across Care Settings

Safe Moving and Handling of Older People in Viet Nam: Individualized Risk Assessment, Appropriate Equipment and Care-Worker Safety Across Care Settings

An older woman has recently returned home after a hospital stay. Before becoming ill, she could stand with a little assistance and move from her bed to a nearby chair. Now she tires more easily, sometimes feels dizzy when standing, and cannot consistently support her own weight. Her care worker knows her usual routine and wants to help her regain confidence.

The difficulty is that the familiar routine may no longer be safe.

Should the worker continue providing physical support, ask another person to help, use a transfer device, or postpone the movement until the woman's condition has been reassessed? The answer cannot be determined simply by her age, previous mobility, or the worker's experience. It depends on what she can do now, what the movement involves, the available equipment, and whether those assisting her can carry out the task safely.

Situations like this arise in hospitals, rehabilitation services, residential care facilities, and private homes throughout Viet Nam. Helping someone stand, transfer from bed to chair, or change position may appear to be an ordinary part of daily care. Yet an inappropriate movement can injure the older person, place considerable physical strain on the worker, or turn a manageable activity into an emergency.

Safe moving and handling therefore deserves attention as a distinct area of care quality. It requires more than teaching workers how to lift. It involves understanding each person's abilities, assessing the task and environment, selecting suitable equipment, ensuring workforce competence, and respecting the dignity and independence of the person receiving assistance.

Understanding the Risks Behind Everyday Movements

Moving and handling in older-person care includes activities such as helping someone sit up, stand, transfer between surfaces, reposition in bed, or move with support during personal care and other daily activities.

The assistance required can vary considerably. Some people can perform most of a movement independently but benefit from supervision or a simple mobility aid. Others require hands-on assistance, specialized equipment, or support from more than one trained worker.

The risks are not limited to lifting a person's full body weight. Repeated pulling, supporting someone who unexpectedly loses balance, working in a confined space, or maintaining an awkward posture can place substantial physical demands on care workers.

For older people, unsafe handling may cause pain, bruising, skin damage, falls, fractures, or other injuries. A distressing experience can also affect confidence and make someone reluctant to participate in future movement. Workers may experience back injuries, shoulder problems, muscular strain, and other work-related musculoskeletal disorders, particularly when hazardous tasks are repeated without adequate equipment or organizational support.

Guidance from the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recognizes that preventing handling-related injuries requires a systematic approach. Risk assessment, appropriate equipment, practical training, and organizational support are more reliable safeguards than relying on lifting posture or individual physical strength alone.

This does not mean that every movement requires a mechanical lift or that older people should be discouraged from moving independently. Appropriate assistance can help people regain confidence, participate in rehabilitation, and maintain functional abilities.

The objective is to avoid unnecessary hazardous handling while enabling movement that is safe, appropriate, and consistent with the person's abilities.

Assessing the Person, the Movement, and the Environment

A moving and handling assessment should begin with the older person's current abilities rather than assumptions about what people of a particular age can or cannot do.

Two people of the same age may have very different levels of strength, balance, mobility, cognition, and functional independence. Even the same person's capabilities may change throughout the day.

An individualized assessment should consider whether the person can understand and follow instructions, maintain sitting or standing balance, participate in the movement, and support their own weight. Relevant health factors may include recent surgery, fractures, neurological conditions, pain, weakness, dizziness, fatigue, movement restrictions, fragile skin, or impaired awareness.

Some individuals may be able to stand with limited assistance but become unstable after several seconds. Others may sit independently yet lack the strength or coordination needed for a particular transfer. These differences influence the type of assistance that can be provided safely.

The movement itself also matters. Helping someone rise from an appropriately positioned chair is different from transferring a person who cannot bear weight from a low bed to a wheelchair. Repositioning a person in bed presents different challenges from assisting movement in a bathroom.

The physical environment can make either activity safer or more hazardous. Limited space, slippery or uneven floors, unsuitable furniture, poor lighting, or restricted access to equipment may affect how assistance should be organized.

The capabilities of those providing support must also be considered. A task that can be completed safely by workers trained to use a particular device may not be appropriate for someone unfamiliar with that equipment.

The HSE distinguishes between organizational risk assessments and assessments of an individual's moving and handling needs. An organizational assessment considers recurring hazards, equipment availability, staffing arrangements, environmental conditions, and foreseeable emergency situations. An individual assessment determines what is appropriate for a particular person and should inform their care plan.

Both are important, but they serve different purposes. A facility-wide policy may establish safe working arrangements, while an individualized assessment identifies the assistance needed for a specific person.

Whenever possible, the older person should participate in that assessment. Their experience of pain, discomfort, anxiety, confidence, and preferred ways of moving can provide information that is not immediately apparent through observation.

Family members and familiar caregivers may also help explain the person's usual abilities and recent changes. However, assessments and decisions requiring clinical or specialist expertise should remain with appropriately qualified professionals.

The central question is not simply whether a movement has been completed successfully before. It is whether the person, task, environment, equipment, and available assistance make that movement appropriate now.

Making the Care Plan Useful in Daily Practice

An assessment has limited value if it does not lead to clear instructions that workers can follow.

A moving and handling plan should explain the assistance required for relevant activities, including standing, transfers, bed mobility, and repositioning where applicable. It should identify what the person can safely do independently, what support is needed, which equipment should be used, and any important restrictions.

The plan should specify the number of competent workers required for relevant activities and identify circumstances that require reassessment or escalation.

Instructions such as "assist with transfers" or "mobilize with help" may be too vague for a person with complex or changing needs. Different workers could interpret them differently, creating unnecessary variation in care.

Where mechanical lifting equipment is required, the plan should contain enough information to identify the appropriate device, compatible accessories, and relevant person-specific requirements.

For example, selecting a suitable sling may involve its type, size, support characteristics, and the attachment configuration required for the intended transfer. These details should reflect competent assessment and the equipment manufacturer's instructions.

The plan must be accessible to authorized workers who need it, with appropriate safeguards for the person's privacy. Staff providing evening or weekend care should not have to rely on informal explanations from colleagues to understand how a particular transfer should be performed.

When someone moves between services, relevant information about their mobility, equipment needs, and handling restrictions should be communicated appropriately as part of care coordination.

A care plan should not become an inflexible instruction. Someone whose mobility was assessed last week may have developed new pain, weakness, dizziness, or other problems that affect their ability to participate safely.

Review is particularly important following hospitalization, surgery, significant illness, injury, functional deterioration, or a change in equipment or care environment.

Workers need a clear way to report these changes and obtain advice. They should not be expected to improvise an alternative transfer method when the person's condition differs substantially from the assessment.

The most useful care plan is not necessarily the longest. It is one that provides clear, practical guidance for meeting the person's assessed care needs safely in the circumstances in which care is actually delivered.

Choosing Equipment That Fits the Person and the Task

Handling equipment can reduce physical strain and support safer movement, but having equipment available does not automatically make a transfer safe.

Different devices serve different purposes. Adjustable-height beds can improve positioning and working conditions. Slide sheets may support certain repositioning activities. Transfer boards may be appropriate for selected people who can participate in moving between surfaces. Standing aids and mechanical hoists can assist with particular transfers when their use matches the person's abilities and care needs.

No single device is suitable for everyone.

A standing aid that requires active participation or weight bearing may be inappropriate for someone who cannot reliably provide it. A transfer board may be unsuitable for a person who lacks the sitting stability or functional ability needed to participate safely.

Mechanical lifting equipment requires particular attention to compatibility and intended use. The hoist and sling must be suitable for the person and the planned activity. Sling size, design, support needs, attachment arrangements, and safe working load are among the factors that require consideration.

A handling belt intended to support or guide a person during an assisted movement should not be treated as equipment for manually lifting that person's body weight.

Equipment must also fit the environment. A mobile hoist that works well in a spacious hospital room may be difficult to maneuver in a small bedroom. Limited space around a bed, unsuitable floor surfaces, and restricted bathroom access may prevent a device from being used as intended.

These limitations should be identified before equipment is purchased or incorporated into a care plan. A device that cannot be positioned or operated safely in the available space is not an adequate solution simply because it is technically suitable for lifting.

Maintenance is another essential consideration. Devices and accessories should be inspected, cleaned, serviced, stored, and maintained according to their design, manufacturer's instructions, intended use, and applicable requirements.

Workers should know how to recognize visible defects, missing components, or other signs of possible equipment failure. Potentially unsafe equipment should be taken out of service pending appropriate evaluation rather than used because no alternative is readily available.

ISO 10535:2021, Assistive Products — Hoists for the Transfer of Persons — Requirements and Test Methods, provides an international technical reference for specified types of hoists and body-support units. Its scope concerns equipment requirements and testing, rather than individualized clinical assessment or comprehensive moving and handling procedures.

Compliance with a technical equipment standard does not establish that a particular transfer is safe. Suitability still depends on the individual, the equipment combination, the environment, manufacturer instructions, and the competence of those using it.

For care providers, the practical question is not simply whether they own handling equipment. It is whether the right equipment is available, maintained, accessible, and used correctly for the people who need it.

Staffing and Competence Are Essential Safety Controls

Safe moving and handling depends on how care work is organized, not only on the technical knowledge of individual workers.

The number of people required for a transfer should follow a competent assessment of the person, task, equipment, and environment.

There is no universally appropriate rule that every transfer must involve two care workers. Some activities can be completed safely by one suitably trained person using appropriate equipment. Others require two or more workers.

The HSE recognizes that hoisting requirements vary according to individual circumstances. Some transfers may be undertaken safely with one competent worker, while others require two or more people to maintain the person's safety, positioning, and comfort throughout the movement.

This distinction matters because staffing should reflect the actual risks rather than a fixed numerical assumption.

If a care plan requires two trained workers, assigning only one creates a foreseeable safety problem. The solution is not to expect that worker to exert greater physical effort. Adding an untrained person also does not necessarily make the task safe.

Care organizations need arrangements that match assessed care needs with available staff and competence, including during night shifts, weekends, and unexpected absences.

Training should go beyond posture and body mechanics. Workers need to understand how handling risks arise, how to recognize changes in a person's abilities, when equipment is necessary, and when an activity should not proceed.

Practical instruction and supervised demonstration of competence are particularly important for complex transfers and mechanical lifting. Completing an online course or attending a classroom session does not, by itself, establish that someone can safely perform every handling activity.

Competence should be relevant to the tasks and devices a worker is expected to use. It should be reviewed when responsibilities, equipment, or care needs change.

Workers also need a realistic way to request assistance or report unsafe conditions without being pressured to complete tasks that cannot be performed safely.

The World Health Organization's October 2026 publication, Development, Management and Support of Care Workers — Towards an Integrated Health and Care Workforce: Policy Options, emphasizes workforce development, management, working conditions, and stronger recognition of care workers across home, healthcare, and residential settings.

Its broader message is relevant to moving and handling: the quality of care depends partly on whether the people providing it have appropriate preparation, support, and working conditions.

Protecting workers and protecting older people are connected responsibilities. Neither should depend on repeated physical effort that exposes someone to avoidable injury.

Preserving Independence, Comfort, and Dignity

Safety should not be understood as doing everything for the older person.

When people can still participate in standing, repositioning, or transferring with appropriate assistance, allowing that participation can help maintain functional abilities and confidence.

A person-centered approach therefore begins by identifying what someone can safely do rather than assuming that more assistance always represents better care.

Sometimes the most helpful approach is to allow additional time. In other circumstances, clearer instructions, suitable equipment, rest, or a different level of support may be necessary.

Moving and handling can also be a vulnerable experience. Being lifted, repositioned, or assisted during personal care may cause embarrassment, anxiety, discomfort, or a sense of lost control.

Care workers should explain what is planned, seek the person's agreement as appropriate, preserve privacy, and communicate throughout the activity.

Information may need to be adapted for people with hearing, vision, cognitive, or communication difficulties.

Distress or reluctance should not automatically be interpreted as non-cooperation. Pain, fear, confusion, unfamiliar equipment, or difficulty understanding instructions may all contribute.

Where decision-making ability is uncertain, the person's rights should remain central. Appropriate support for participation and applicable requirements concerning consent and legally authorized representation must be respected.

Handling equipment should not be used to impose unnecessary restrictions or overcome resistance through force. When a routine movement cannot be completed safely and with appropriate agreement, reassessment or professional advice may be necessary.

A safe transfer should protect both physical well-being and the older person's sense of control over their own body.

Recognizing When a Planned Transfer Is No Longer Safe

One of the most important skills in moving and handling is recognizing when not to proceed.

A person who stood with assistance yesterday may suddenly be unable to support their weight today. Another may develop severe pain, dizziness, unexpected weakness, or a change in awareness while preparing to move.

Continuing with the original plan in such circumstances may expose both the older person and the worker to injury.

When a non-urgent movement cannot be completed safely, the appropriate response is generally to stop or defer the activity as needed, protect the person from immediate danger, and follow the established process for obtaining assistance and reassessment.

Changes suggesting acute illness or serious injury require particular attention. Sudden neurological symptoms, altered consciousness, severe unexplained pain, or other signs of acute deterioration should not be treated merely as difficulties with mobility.

A person found on the floor after a suspected fall presents another important situation. The immediate priorities include recognizing possible injury and urgent medical needs within the worker's competence and established procedures.

An unassessed manual lift should not be attempted simply to return the person to standing quickly. The appropriate recovery approach depends on the person's condition, potential injuries, available equipment, and competent assistance.

Equipment failure also requires a clear response. If a planned lifting device is unavailable, defective, or unsuitable, workers should not assume that an improvised manual transfer is an acceptable substitute.

Emergency arrangements should address foreseeable circumstances such as equipment malfunction, loss of power, and the need for urgent assistance or evacuation. They should be appropriate to the care setting, available resources, staff competence, and relevant safety requirements.

Urgent circumstances may require immediate protective action, but urgency should not be confused with permission to use arbitrary or unfamiliar handling techniques.

Workers need to know whom to contact, how to seek assistance, and what to do when an ordinary care activity can no longer be performed safely.

Why Home Care Requires Particular Attention

Safe moving and handling can be especially challenging in private homes because the environment is rarely designed around professional care requirements.

Bedrooms may be small, beds may be unsuitable for assisted transfers, and bathrooms may have limited space or surfaces that increase handling risks. Equipment storage and access can also be difficult.

Families often develop informal ways of helping an older relative move between familiar locations. These methods may have worked for years but can become unsafe as the person's mobility changes.

A recent hospitalization, gradual functional decline, or new illness may mean that an older person requires substantially more assistance than before.

Home-care workers may also provide services alone, with limited immediate access to colleagues, specialized equipment, or clinical advice.

These realities should be addressed during assessment and planning rather than treated as difficulties that workers must overcome through physical effort.

A home-care assessment should consider the actual layout, relevant environmental hazards, equipment needs, available assistance, and what should happen if a planned movement cannot be completed safely.

Potential solutions may include environmental modifications, suitable equipment, different staffing arrangements, or access to rehabilitation and healthcare professionals.

In some circumstances, the existing service arrangement may no longer be sufficient to meet the person's needs safely. This possibility should be discussed sensitively with the older person and other appropriate participants, while respecting the person's rights, preferences, and decision-making arrangements.

Family caregivers also deserve attention. Their willingness to help does not necessarily mean they have the physical ability, training, or equipment needed for a hazardous transfer. A family member may be at risk of injury while attempting to protect a relative from falling or while providing repeated assistance throughout the day.

Organizations should not routinely rely on untrained relatives to compensate for inadequate staffing or unavailable equipment.

Where family members are appropriately involved in agreed handling activities, they should receive relevant information, practical guidance, and support in understanding what they can and cannot safely undertake.

The circumstances of an individual family providing informal care may differ from those of an organization employing professional workers. Responsibilities should therefore be considered in light of the actual care arrangement and applicable law.

The objective is to make home care as safe and sustainable as reasonably possible, without shifting organizational responsibilities onto families or expecting workers to manage preventable risks through improvisation.

Making Safe Handling an Organizational Responsibility

Individual assessments and staff training are important, but they cannot compensate for persistent weaknesses in how a service is organized.

A care provider needs clear responsibility for assessing moving and handling needs, developing care plans, selecting and maintaining equipment, and evaluating worker competence.

Staff should know where to obtain specialist advice and how to raise concerns when the planned method of assistance is no longer suitable.

Hospitals may coordinate these responsibilities through nursing, medical, rehabilitation, and occupational safety teams. Residential facilities may require arrangements between direct-care workers, supervisors, external clinicians, and equipment providers.

Home-care organizations need systems that account for environmental limitations, workers providing care alone, and changing levels of assistance.

The arrangements should be proportionate to the service and reliable enough to support everyday decisions.

A provider that documents a requirement for particular equipment but repeatedly leaves it unavailable has not adequately controlled the risk. The same applies when a transfer requires competent assistance that cannot reliably be provided.

Worker feedback can reveal these gaps before serious harm occurs.

Repeated reports of back discomfort, difficulty obtaining equipment, or pressure to complete unsafe transfers should prompt examination of staffing, workload, equipment access, and care arrangements rather than being treated only as individual performance concerns.

Handling-related incidents and near misses may also reveal weaknesses requiring attention. Relevant findings should lead to appropriate changes in assessment, equipment, training, staffing, or work processes.

The WHO and International Labour Organization's 2022 publication, Caring for Those Who Care, provides a broader framework for occupational health and safety programs for health workers. Its approach emphasizes prevention through organizational arrangements, effective management, and systematic risk control.

For older-person care services, the implication is clear: safe assistance should not depend on individual workers repeatedly exposing themselves to unnecessary physical risk.

Measuring Whether Practice Is Becoming Safer

Organizations need a practical way to determine whether their moving and handling arrangements are working.

A useful starting point is to examine whether older people who require handling assistance have current, individualized assessments and care plans that clearly describe the support needed.

It is equally important to review whether the equipment identified in those plans is suitable, maintained, and available when needed.

Supervised observation by competent personnel can help determine whether workers understand the care plan, use equipment appropriately, and recognize circumstances requiring reassessment.

Staffing arrangements also deserve attention. An organization may own suitable equipment but still experience unsafe situations because devices are difficult to access or the required number of competent workers is unavailable.

Worker feedback provides another source of information. Reports of discomfort, equipment problems, or situations in which a planned movement could not be completed safely may identify emerging risks before an injury occurs.

Handling-related injuries and near misses can contribute to evaluation, but their numbers need careful interpretation. Few reported events do not necessarily indicate that practice is safe, particularly when reporting is incomplete.

The older person's experience should also be considered. A transfer completed without an obvious injury may still cause avoidable pain, fear, or embarrassment.

Feedback from care recipients and, where appropriate, their families can help organizations understand whether assistance is safe, respectful, and consistent with individual needs.

The purpose of measurement is not to create a large reporting burden. It is to identify weaknesses, make practical improvements, and establish whether those improvements are sustained.

A small set of meaningful measures, used consistently, may be more valuable than extensive documentation that does not influence everyday practice.

Applying International Principles Within Viet Nam's Legal and Regulatory Framework

Moving and handling in Viet Nam involves several areas of legal and professional responsibility. The requirements applicable to hospitals, social assistance establishments, home-care providers, employers, and individual family arrangements are not necessarily identical.

The Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene No. 84/2015/QH13, as amended, establishes an important framework for workplace health and safety.

Within the scope of its applicable provisions, relevant responsibilities include identifying and controlling workplace hazards, maintaining safe working conditions and equipment, providing appropriate safety information and training, and implementing preventive measures.

These responsibilities are relevant when healthcare and care organizations arrange work that exposes employees to physical handling risks. The precise obligations depend on the nature of the organization, employment arrangements, activities performed, and applicable implementing regulations.

The Law on Older Persons No. 39/2009/QH12, as amended, provides a broader legal foundation concerning the rights, care, support, and treatment of older people. Its consolidated text, No. 23/VBHN-VPQH, was issued on February 26, 2026.

The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15, as amended, and its implementing regulations apply where services involve regulated medical examination and treatment activities. Consolidated text No. 26/VBHN-VPQH was also issued on February 26, 2026.

These legal frameworks should not be interpreted as making every form of mobility assistance a regulated medical procedure.

Helping someone move during ordinary personal care is not necessarily equivalent to performing a clinical assessment, prescribing rehabilitation, or providing medical treatment. However, changes in health or functional ability may require clinical evaluation, and workers must remain within their professional responsibilities, authorized activities, and competence.

Social assistance establishments operate under additional regulatory arrangements.

As of November 2, 2026, Decree No. 103/2017/ND-CP on the establishment, organization, operation, dissolution, and management of social assistance establishments remains relevant, together with applicable amendments and related regulations.

Decree No. 395/2026/ND-CP on the operation and management of social assistance facilities was issued on October 23, 2026, and is scheduled to take effect on December 7, 2026. Under its implementation provisions, Decree No. 103/2017/ND-CP will cease to have effect when the new decree enters into force.

Organizations falling within the scope of Decree No. 395/2026/ND-CP should review its provisions and prepare for implementation while continuing to comply with the requirements applicable before its effective date.

The new decree should not be interpreted as prescribing one universal set of moving and handling techniques or staffing requirements for every older-person care service.

International standards and guidance can help organizations strengthen their practices, but their purposes and legal status must be understood correctly.

ISO 25557:2026, Ageing Societies — Care Quality for Older Persons at Home and in Care Facilities, establishes requirements and recommendations for the provision of health and social care services for older people.

It addresses care based on individual needs and preferences, with attention to participation, safety, dignity, workforce considerations, and organizational responsibilities. Its principal focus is care at home and in care facilities, although many of its principles may be relevant to other settings.

The standard does not establish detailed clinical moving and handling techniques or replace requirements governing medical devices.

ISO 10535:2021 provides technical requirements and test methods for specified person-transfer hoists and body-support units. It is an equipment standard rather than a comprehensive clinical handling protocol.

Guidance from the UK HSE provides practical reference points for managing moving and handling risks, selecting equipment, planning assistance, and assessing workforce requirements.

CDC/NIOSH and OSHA materials on safe patient handling and mobility provide complementary approaches to occupational injury prevention and organizational risk management.

These resources should be applied according to their intended purposes. International standards do not automatically become mandatory legal requirements in Viet Nam, and occupational safety rules from other countries should not be presented as Vietnamese legal obligations.

For Healthy Longevity Vietnam (HLVN), the appropriate contribution is to promote evidence-informed principles that healthcare and care organizations can evaluate and adapt responsibly within their own legal, professional, and operational contexts.

From Routine Assistance to Safer Everyday Care

Safe moving and handling is easy to overlook because many of the activities involved take place repeatedly throughout the day.

Yet each movement brings together several important decisions. The older person's current abilities must be understood. The task and environment need to be considered. Suitable equipment and competent assistance must be available. Workers need a reliable way to respond when circumstances change.

For older people, good handling practice should protect against avoidable injury while supporting comfort, dignity, choice, and remaining functional abilities.

For care workers, it should mean having the training, equipment, staffing, and organizational support required to provide assistance without unnecessary physical risk.

For hospitals, residential facilities, rehabilitation services, and home-care providers in Viet Nam, the challenge is to make these safeguards part of ordinary care rather than relying on individual strength, experience, or improvisation.

A transfer should not be considered successful simply because the person reached the chair or bed without an immediate incident. Its quality also depends on whether the movement was appropriate, properly assessed, competently supported, and respectful of everyone involved.

That is what makes safe moving and handling more than a physical task. It is a meaningful part of reliable, person-centered care for older people.

Key References and Regulatory Context

World Health Organization. (2026). Development, Management and Support of Care Workers — Towards an Integrated Health and Care Workforce: Policy Options. Published October 20, 2026.

World Health Organization and International Labour Organization. (2022). Caring for Those Who Care: Guide for the Development and Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Programmes for Health Workers.

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

International Organization for Standardization. (2021). ISO 10535:2021 — Assistive Products — Hoists for the Transfer of Persons — Requirements and Test Methods. Corrected version, August 2023.

UK Health and Safety Executive. Moving and Handling in Health and Social Care — Managing the Risks of Moving and Handling.

UK Health and Safety Executive. Moving and Handling in Health and Social Care — Moving and Handling Equipment.

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. About Safe Patient Handling and Mobility.

United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Healthcare — Safe Patient Handling.

National Assembly of Viet Nam. Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene No. 84/2015/QH13, as amended, and relevant implementing regulations.

National Assembly of Viet Nam. Law on Older Persons No. 39/2009/QH12, as amended. Consolidated text No. 23/VBHN-VPQH, February 26, 2026.

National Assembly of Viet Nam. Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15, as amended. Consolidated text No. 26/VBHN-VPQH, February 26, 2026.

Government of Viet Nam. Decree No. 103/2017/ND-CP on the Establishment, Organization, Operation, Dissolution and Management of Social Assistance Establishments, together with applicable amendments and related regulations.

Government of Viet Nam. 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 an independent initiative focused on advancing quality, safety, and implementation in age-friendly, integrated, and long-term care for older people in Viet Nam. Through evidence-informed approaches, quality improvement, measurement, and collaboration, HLVN supports healthcare and care organizations in developing safer, more coordinated, and person-centered care across settings.

Disclaimer

This article is intended for general educational, quality improvement, and organizational development purposes. It does not constitute individualized clinical advice, hands-on moving and handling instruction, professional competency certification, legal advice, or a mandatory national standard for older-person care in Viet Nam.

Moving and handling activities must be based on appropriate individual risk assessment, current functional and clinical needs, equipment suitability, manufacturer instructions, worker competence, and applicable legal and organizational requirements. Complex transfers, mechanical lifting, and other potentially hazardous activities require task-specific assessment and appropriate practical training. Readers should not attempt unfamiliar or unsafe handling techniques solely on the basis of this article.

Organizational obligations vary according to legal status, licensed activities, employment arrangements, and the applicable regulatory framework. International guidance and standards discussed here are provided as reference points and should not be interpreted as automatically legally binding in Viet Nam.

Information and regulatory context reviewed as of November 2, 2026.