1. Full name of doctoral candidate: Truong Thi Yen 2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: July 17, 1987 4. Place of birth: Nghe An
5. Decision on admission of doctoral students: Decision No. 2775/2020/QD-XHNV dated December 31, 2020, of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
6. Changes in the training process: Decision No. 5109/QD-XHNV dated December 4, 2023, on extending the study period for doctoral students of QH-2020-X (first time).
7. Thesis title: Support activities for the elderly in the resettled floating village community of Thua Thien Hue province
8. Major: Social Work 9. Code: 9760101.01
10. Scientific supervisor:
Guide 1: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Van Tung
Guide 2: Dr. Huynh Thi Anh Phuong
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:
11.1. Purpose and scope of the thesis* Research Objective: This study aims to analyze support activities for the elderly in the resettled floating village community in Thua Thien Hue province. Based on this analysis, it seeks to clarify the gaps between actual support and the needs of the elderly. From this, it proposes professional solutions from a social work perspective to improve the effectiveness of support activities for the elderly in the community.
* Research subject: Support activities for the elderly in the resettled floating village community.
11.2. Research methods used
The thesis employed the following research methods:
- Document analysis method: Documents were analyzed in both English and Vietnamese, with a total of 179 documents cited.
- Survey method using structured questionnaires: The survey questionnaire was distributed to elderly people living in floating villages on the Perfume River who were resettled since 2010, with a total sample size of 342, and 335 questionnaires eligible for data processing. Information from the structured questionnaire survey was processed using SPSS 25.0 software.
- In-depth interview method: Conducted with 3 groups of subjects including NCT (6 people), subjects in the formal support system (7 people), and subjects in the informal support system (4 people). Information from the in-depth interviews was processed using Memobot software.
- Expert consultation method: Three experts were consulted during two research phases. The first phase involved establishing the theoretical framework for the research. The second phase, after obtaining the results of a field survey, aimed to guide solutions or propose experimental models for supporting the elderly in the community.
11.3. Key Results
- The thesis analyzed the characteristics and support needs of the elderly people living in the Huong River's floating villages who were resettled. The research results showed that they are a vulnerable and disadvantaged group susceptible to changes in their living environment. A prominent support need for this group is social integration in their new place of residence, as evidenced by their desires for job creation support, healthcare, social networking, and legal assistance.
- The study analyzed the current state of support activities for the elderly in the community, including: medical and healthcare support, employment and livelihood support, support for participation in social activities, legal assistance, and support for disaster and disease mitigation. The results showed that support activities are quite diverse, but the elderly people resettled in the Huong River's floating villages have not had much access to them. This is precisely the gap between the needs of the elderly and the actual implementation of support activities.
- The study conducted an experimental "psychological-social sharing" model using group social work intervention methods with relocated elderly people from the Huong River floating villages. The experimental results showed that the elderly group participating in the model took greater responsibility in sharing and supporting each other. The effectiveness of the model was also demonstrated by the elderly's desire to continue participating in group activities even after the experiment ended. This form of support is also entirely consistent with the World Health Organization's trend of assisting the elderly towards active aging and in-place aging.
11.4. Novel Contributions of the Thesis
- The dissertation has identified the theoretical basis for supporting the elderly in the community from a social work perspective. Furthermore, by combining qualitative and quantitative research in a specific area, with a particular target group – the elderly from the Huong River boat community resettled in Thua Thien Hue province – the dissertation has enriched the theoretical foundation of social work science, as well as the practical aspects of social work, specifically the practice of social work with the elderly.
- The novelty of the thesis is also demonstrated through the survey, analysis, and evaluation of the current situation of needs and some support activities for elderly people living in floating villages on the Huong River in the two resettlement areas of Huong So and Phu Hau, as well as identifying some factors affecting the effectiveness of support for the elderly in the research area. In fact, there are not many research works on the issue of support for elderly migrants and resettled people in the field of social work. The results of this study are a new contribution to the reference material for researchers, teachers, and practitioners of social work related to the elderly.
11.5. Conclusion
The elderly people who lived in the floating villages on the Perfume River and were resettled are a unique and very vulnerable group. They need support to integrate into society in their new homes.
Support activities for the elderly are being implemented in the study area, and although diverse, they are insufficient to meet the actual needs of the relocated elderly people living in floating villages on the Perfume River. The locality still lacks professional support activities for specific elderly groups.
One solution to bridge the gap between the support needs of relocated elderly people living in floating villages on the Perfume River and the reality of implementing support activities is to enhance the professionalism of assistance activities for specific social groups. The experimental implementation of a "psychological-social sharing" model using group social work intervention methods with relocated elderly people living in floating villages on the Perfume River has demonstrated the effectiveness of supporting the elderly when applying professional assistance methods from a social work perspective.
12. Future research directions: Researching models for supporting older adults in the community, aiming at active aging and in-place aging.
13. Publications related to the dissertation:
1. Truong Thi Yen, Huynh Thi Anh Phuong (2021), “Health Care for the Elderly: Policy of Japan and Recommendation for Vietnam”, VNU Journal of Science: Policy and Management Studies Vol. 37 (4), pp. 37-46.2. Truong Thi Yen, Dinh Thi Thien Ai (2022), “Особенности ценностных ориентаций с Вьетнаме”, Санкт-Петербургский униве № 6 (159), стр. 55-59.
3. Truong Thi Yen (2022), “Supporting the elderly in the community through group social work intervention: An experimental study with elderly residents of resettled floating villages in Hue city”, Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi Vol. 8 (2B), pp.263-278.
4. Truong Thi Yen (2022), “Community-based support and services for the elderly: Perspective of social protection for sustainable development”, The International Conference Proceedings: The First International Conference on the issues of Social Sciences and Humanities,
Vietnam Nation University Press, Hanoi, pp. 1136-11545. Truong Thi Yen, Nguyen Thi Nha Trang, Truong Thi Xuan Nhi (2022), “Community-based service provision model for the elderly in China and suggestions for Vietnam”, Journal of Science and Technology, University of Science, Hue University Vol. 21 (3), pp.143 – 152.
6. Truong Thi Yen, Le Thi Lam (2023), “Social inclusion of the elderly moving from afloat to ashore in Hue city: Issues for Social Work practice”, International Conference Proceedings Make a difference social work without barriers: In response to sustainable development and public emergency, Vietnam Nation University Press, Ha Noi, pp. 256-273.
7. YEN Truong Thi, Tung Trinh Van, PHUONG Huynh Thi Anh (2023), "Le soutien aux personnes âgées expulsées de la Rivière des Parfums (Vietnam). Entre réciprocité, contrainte et endettement sentimental", Réciprocité dans la coopération et créativité de l'économie sociale et solidaire, Presses Universitaires de Rennes, France.
