3.4.2. Other activities of retirees
Table 3.12: Other activities of retirees
Activities
Percentage | Order | |
1. Listen to the radio for information | 61.3 | 3 |
2. Watch TV, read books and newspapers | 96.4 | 1 |
3. Exercise | 77.8 | 2 |
4. Take your children to school and teach them | 39.1 | 4 |
5. Child care | 39.1 | 4 |
6. Join a dance club | 3.6 | 6 |
7. Join a poetry and art club | 5.3 | 5 |
8. Other activities | 4.4 | 7 |
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- The results in Table 3.12 show that most retirees like to watch TV, newspapers and magazines every day to get information. The knowledge gained through newspapers and mass media gives them a lot of new knowledge. In the current situation, when opening up and cultural exchange is becoming a trend of the times, when information is exploding with increasingly modern means, retirees have a need to access information to equip themselves with knowledge so as not to be left behind with the times, especially the elderly in the city today. Mr. L, 75 years old, retired cadre in Cong Vi ward said: "Every day I often watch TV, after finishing housework, I watch news programs, feature films of Vietnam Television, Hanoi Television, Ho Chi Minh City Television because my family has cable TV, the information channels are rich and diverse, the films are attractive to both children and the elderly. I watch news programs in the morning, noon, and evening to know the developments of society, I also follow information about the daily market prices to know. In the evening, my whole family has dinner while watching the news and movies very happily." It can be seen that watching TV every day is a form of cultural and spiritual activity of every family today.
- For many people, in addition to watching TV and reading newspapers to get information, they also listen to the radio. For many elderly retirees, listening to the radio to get information is more suitable than watching TV, they do not have to concentrate as much as watching TV and the information is more abundant. Mr. N, a retired cadre in Thanh Xuan district said:
“I used to watch TV a lot, but since I got my eye surgery, watching TV too much makes my eyes hurt, I can't stand it, I switched to listening to the radio, the news on the radio is very rich, not inferior to TV, I bought a small radio to carry everywhere, I always put it next to my bed when I go to sleep and listen to it and fall asleep.”
- In addition to receiving information through radio and television, many retirees also participate in physical exercise to maintain their health. In the city with limited family space, the elderly's communication with nature is limited to the maximum, but they still take advantage of the opportunity to be in contact with nature. Going to exercise every morning, besides being close to trees, flowers, breathing fresh air and chatting with friends of the same age, also shows the elderly's desire to be close to nature. Mr. T, 67 years old, a retired cadre in Cong Vi ward, said: “I have practiced the habit of walking for morning exercise since I was not yet retired, and now it has become a habit. Every morning at 5am, I get up to walk around Ngoc Khanh Lake, meet the elderly who also exercise, chat about daily stories to relieve stress, then go home to help my children and grandchildren. On rainy days when I cannot go to exercise or meet other elderly people, I feel very sad.”
- Taking care of young grandchildren; taking them to school is also a joy of old age for many retirees. In Vietnamese families, the elderly often help their children by looking after their grandchildren to share the burden of life with them. Many people interviewed said that this is also an activity that brings them a lot of joy. Taking care of and educating children and grandchildren is considered by retirees as their responsibility and obligation to their children. Uncle G, a 62-year-old retiree in Cong Vi ward, said: “I have only been retired for two years. In addition to participating in the work at the ward, the rest of my time, together with my wife, I take care of my 3-month-old grandchild. All day long, I just feed him, cook, and that's all. I can't go far, I just carry him around the neighborhood and chat with the elderly. Although taking care of a young grandchild is hard, every day
Hearing my grandchild cry and laugh is also a joy for me and my wife in old age. We have wanted to hold our grandchild for a long time, and now we are very happy to have it fulfilled .
- Only a few retirees participate in poetry clubs (mostly the elderly) or dance clubs. Some other retirees participate in Yoga clubs; join Thang Long Club, which also partly shows the monotony in cultural and artistic activities of retirees. The cultural and artistic enjoyment needs of retirees today are mainly met by mass media - through visual, written and spoken newspapers.
3.4.3. Favorite activities of retirees
Table 3.13: Favorite activities of retirees
Criteria
Favorite Activities of Retirees
Sex | Overall result (%) | ||
Male | Female | ||
1. Listen to the radio for information | 15.7 | 11.2 | 13.8 |
2. Watch TV, read books and newspapers | 53.5 | 58.4 | 60.0 |
3. Exercise | 22.8 | 11.2 | 17.8 |
4. Take your children to school and teach them | 4.7 | 0 | 2.7 |
5. Child care | 2.4 | 7.1 | 4.4 |
6. Join a dance club | 0 | 1.0 | 0.4 |
7. Join a poetry and art club | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
- The results of table 3.13 show that the activity that many retirees love is watching TV, reading newspapers and magazines every day to follow the news and various information. The number of people listening to the radio is less, perhaps in the city, TV has reached every home and the advantage of images has made more people choose it. The third favorite activity through which retirees can communicate with others is daily exercise. This shows that retirees always have the need to understand, grasp information, knowledge and the need to be close to and in contact with nature.
- Regarding the most favorite activity, there is a statistically significant difference between men and women. Besides watching TV and listening to the radio every day to get information, men like to participate in physical exercise more than women (22.8% of men like to exercise, while only 11.2% of women like this activity). Older women like to take care of their grandchildren more than old men (older women take care of their grandchildren: 7.1%; old men: 2.4%); while old men like to take their grandchildren to school and teach them more than old women (men: 4.7%; women: 0%). Uncle T, in Cong Vi ward, Ba Dinh, said: “Since I retired until now, I have been helping my children take care of their grandchildren, from morning to night I am busy with my grandchildren, my children are born one after another, the oldest is 3 years old, the youngest is over a year old, there is no time to exercise or play any sports, only my husband, sometimes he goes for a walk in the morning”. Uncle M, in Cong Vi ward said: “I have three grandchildren, all of them are in school, one is in kindergarten, one is in primary school, one is in secondary school. Now I still pick up my youngest grandchild from kindergarten near my house, every afternoon my grandchild and I are very happy. I can’t take care of the little ones too much, I get tired after playing with them for a while, the little ones are taken care of by their grandmother, they feed and give them water, when the grandchild knows how to go to school, the grandfather takes them there and picks them up.”
- Favorite activity (comparison by age group): The results show that. Retirees in the age group over 66 years old like to listen to the radio for more information than those in the lower age group, while those in the age group under 66 years old like to watch TV more (22.8% of people over 66 years old like to listen to the radio, while this rate is 9.5% in the age group from 55 to 65 years old and only 6.7% in the age group under 55 years old; p = 0.03). It is possible that in the older age group, the senses are also weaker, listening to the radio for information seems to be more suitable for older people.
3.4.4. Family communication
- In addition to children living with them, retirees also have children living separately. Survey results show that with children living nearby (in the same residential area), most of the elderly visit regularly (85.5%). This shows the constant concern of parents for their children. Visiting children and grandchildren is not only a need
Visiting children is not only a spiritual need but also a manifestation of the activeness in communication of retirees. Visiting children is an activity that is both spiritually satisfying and helps retirees exercise and communicate with people inside and outside the family, especially in cases where the child's family does not live alone but lives with parents (husband or wife) or other relatives. This helps the elderly maintain and strengthen relationships within the family, relationships that can only be achieved through two main channels: marriage and blood.
- For children who live far away (in different residential areas), only a few (21%) of the elderly visit regularly. The rest (63%) only visit occasionally or hardly ever (because their children live too far away). The elderly often call to ask about their children and grandchildren. Perhaps old age and complicated traffic are also reasons that prevent the elderly from visiting their children and grandchildren who live far away regularly.
- If children do not live with their parents, how do they usually care for and visit them? Survey results show:
+ Children visit their parents by phone: Call to visit every day (38.8%); Call a few times a week (23%); Call a few times a month (37%); Call once every few months (1.2%). Thus, many families regularly communicate with each other by phone, the phone helps shorten the geographical distance and makes it easier for people to meet each other when they are not together, it proves to be a very useful means of communication.
+ Children visit their parents directly: Visiting every day (18.3%); Visiting a few times a week (14.4%); Visiting a few times a month (62.8%); Visiting once a year (4.4%). Children often visit their parents a few times a month, usually on weekends when they don't have to go to work and the children are off school. Ms. H, the daughter of a retired official in Ba Dinh district, said: "I got married and moved out to live near my parents' house. My parents come over to visit my grandchild every afternoon when he comes home from school, and we usually go to my parents' house only on weekends. At that time, my siblings who live elsewhere also bring their grandchild to visit their grandparents. The whole family cooks and eats at noon and then in the afternoon, everyone goes back to their parents' house.
We are known to live near my parents' house, but seeing them come to our house, I feel secure so I don't go to their house often, but whenever I need something, I call them.
- In addition to daily communication, families also have common activities (going out, sightseeing, traveling, etc.). Statistical results show that: Most families of retired people only have the opportunity to go sightseeing together once every few years (36.7%). About 1/3 of the respondents said that their families go sightseeing together once or twice a year. 1/3 of the respondents said that their families do not have the conditions to go sightseeing or travel together. Most of the respondents said that organizing sightseeing and traveling together by their families, in addition to learning more about the country's landscapes, is also an opportunity for grandparents, parents, and children to be closer to each other because children are busy with work every day and have little time to talk and take care of their parents. Traveling together is also an opportunity for children and grandchildren to show their care and concern for their parents and grandparents, and this makes retirees feel very satisfied.
- In summary: If parents and children do not live together, the elderly often visit their children and grandchildren and also receive attention from their children and grandchildren (calls or direct visits), however, the level of children's visits to their parents is not as frequent as that of parents visiting their children. Children often communicate indirectly (via phone) with their parents more than directly.
3.4.3. Communication with relatives
- The results showed that only 25.6% of respondents said they were often visited by relatives (because they lived close to home). 67.4% were occasionally visited by relatives, 7% rarely met relatives. Geographical distance may also be a reason why visits from relatives are not frequent. The elderly said that they only occasionally visit relatives (brought by their children and grandchildren) on holidays, festivals or family anniversaries. Most people usually call to visit when necessary. Uncle L, 65 years old in Ba Dinh district said: "My family has many relatives in Hanoi
But sometimes, there are a few death anniversaries or Tet holidays that we meet each other and chat. Normally, everyone has their own work, and we don't live close to each other, so we only call each other occasionally to ask about the situation. Now that I'm old, my children have to take me wherever I go, I can't go by myself, they say it's dangerous for me to go alone, so meeting relatives far away is also limited. If I want to go back to my hometown, I have to inform my children weeks in advance so they can arrange to take me back." This result once again shows that the closest people to retirees are their spouses, children, and grandchildren. Relatives may live far away, so the level of care, concern, and visits are not as frequent as the spouses, children, and grandchildren of retirees.
3.4.4. Retired people participating in extra work
Working part-time is an activity for retirees to earn extra income, on the other hand, working part-time also brings them a lot of joy. The survey results show that up to 39.3% of the retirees surveyed said that since their retirement, they have participated in part-time work. Some people still use their expertise in part-time work, but many people said that when they retired, they opened a coffee shop, watched bicycles or opened a shop. The reasons they work part-time are:
- To feel like I can still work and contribute to my family and society (37.6%).
- To have someone to communicate with every day for a happy and comfortable spirit (33%).
- To have more income (29.4%)
- It can be seen that for many retirees, working part-time is to satisfy the need to work, to contribute to family and society, to affirm their own value. Besides, working part-time for retirees is also to satisfy the need to communicate, the need to have additional income to supplement the meager pension of the elderly. Ms. Lien, 64 years old, a retired cadre in Cong Vi ward said: "I have three children, my husband just passed away last year, they are all married and all grown up, I do not have to support any of them, two of them live separately, and one of them works in business.
I am very busy, working from morning to night, my grandchildren all go to school, the older ones go to school, the younger ones go to kindergarten. I used to be a doctor, after retiring, I have been invited to work from there until now (it has been 8 years). I go to work, besides earning money, taking care of my own expenses and family matters, not having to rely on my children and grandchildren, I also get to meet and interact with other people, every morning I still worry about going to work on time, on weekends I also get to rest and play with my children and grandchildren, it feels very happy. I earn my pension from working part-time, I save it for my grandchildren, my children and grandchildren in the countryside, I am happy enough without having to ask my children and grandchildren. I always think that if I hang around at home all day, I will be very sad because I won't know how to talk to anyone. My children and grandchildren don't want me to go to work because I am old now, but I still go to work for fun ." Mr. Khang, 55 years old, retired soldier in Cong Vi ward said: “ We soldiers retired early, we were allowed to retire at 45 years old. In the army, I worked in the technical field. When I retired, my friends invited me to work extra. I have been working since then. Working extra now has income and my spirit is more comfortable than when I was working. If I want to go, I go. If I don't want to go, I just say I'm sick and stay home. I'm not too old, but being able to go to work is the happiest thing. I don't get bored because I stay at home all day ." Mr. Thanh, 50 years old, retired soldier said: " We think that retirement is just a change of job. We are still young, we have to continue working to have money to take care of our family and send our children to school. Now that we are retired, we can't rely on our pension alone to live, and our children won't have enough to go to school, so we have to find jobs here and there to increase our family's income ." Mr. Minh, 65 years old, a retired worker in Thanh Xuan ward, said: “ I really want to work extra, but now it is difficult to find extra work. I used to be a worker, now I want to work extra, what can I do? I can't work as a motorbike taxi driver because my health won't allow it .” Mr. Tien, 65 years old, a retired worker in Thanh Xuan ward, said: “ Since I retired, my wife and I have stayed home to look after bicycles and motorbikes, and we have some income. The work is not too hard, and the neighbors occasionally come over to visit and talk, so my wife and I feel comfortable .”