Rest home in Danang

As Viet Kieu you should be aware that in almost all Vietnamese families, mom and pop are cared for usually by the oldest son.  I have the distinct impression that where that is not possible, some families hire in-home help.  You need an extra bedroom and a few hundred dollars a month.  Salaries are not high as you are customarily providing food and shelter.   As Viet Kieu you should find it relatively easy to set up.

An article on "The Best of Viện Dưỡng Lão in Da Nang" shows some disheartening photos:
https://caotuoi.vn/cac-vien-duong-lao-t … -nang.html

The "Top List" for nursing homes in Hanoi and Saigon are better:
https://toplist.vn/top-list/vien-duong- … -14573.htm

Here's an excellent question posed by a person (he's only 60 so I wouldn't term him either old or older) who shared your sentiment:  https://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/cong-dong … 31734.html

After reading the question, if you scroll down, bypassing the adverts and unrelated photos, you'll see the comment section.  The very first (and very long) comment and suggestion by a poster named viethung.nhanluc is EXCELLENT.  You may want to read it for other options.

You didn't mention your age, but if you're thinking about retiring then you're probably in your early 60s.  Unless your health is already deteriorated, I don't think the issue of "getting old and can't take care of yourself" should be a concern. 

My spouse is approaching 70 and I've already passed my mid 60s, still the question of not being able to take care of ourselves has yet to enter our minds (and that's with his 2 heart attacks in the past.)  We're still actively exploring the world and other cultures, walking and biking daily, reading voraciously, blogging, photographing, relearning languages, etc.

Having a healthy diet, regular exercise, good social interaction, positive spirit, and hobbies that strengthen both your brain and your body, all of that together will help a lot in staving off the effect of aging (and the worries about aging).

We left Vietnam when I was a child many years prior to 1975 and had been back to the country only once recently. I really have no contact with anyone there.
Yes, I am very well aware the concept of children taking care of their elderly parents. However,  my husband and I have a different outlook on this concept. That is we do not want to burden our children. Besides that, we want to move to Asia where the weather is nice and warm as we get older.
I am curious as to there are lots of input on the topic of retiring in Vietnam,  and yet, no one seems to address down the road the issue of how to find care as we get too old or older.

Hi,

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to our question . You were right,  I am turning 64 this year and my husband will be 70. Once we make a decision of moving to Vietnam or Thailand to retire,  that will be the place we will live out our days. So we need to plan down the road and face reality old age and sickness. etc.
Presently, we are in good health with no major issue.
I did check out rhe link you sent me and it is helpful.
While browsing through the internet for the information,  I found most of these rest homes are designed for charity,  such as the one in Danang, the first link you sent me.
I am curious as to how you found the information on the second link on ten best retirement homes.
I know it will be years before you need to check into some kind of care facilities,  but how would you deal with this issue ? Seems to me, what I have found is that nobody really addressed this subject. Most of the topics were about how and where to retire.

I've already read the good replies by others, as well as your further responses.

Though I don't have any better 'data' on what you are seeking, it strikes me that you may be attempting to "fit a square peg into a round hole", culturally speaking.

I'm personally choosing retirement in Vietnam because of the cultural values which more closely resemble those of my own childhood in the 1950's and early 60's, when we cared for my grandmother in our home.

Since the question seems to be, "Who will I pay to take care of me?", why begin your search in Vietnam at the institutional level?

Perhaps you could create your own "homestay" situation, where you move in with a family who agrees to meet all of your domestic needs as you age, in exchange for your ever-increasing financial support as those needs inevitably become greater?

For myself, I envision a scenario where I might marry into such a situation with a middle-aged widow, whose family and I would mutually adopt each other.

While some might ridicule such a notion, the driving concept is that, as my age increases and my ability to care for myself diminishes, in Vietnamese society I am in many ways valued MORE, not less.

If I remain a good judge of character and build family-type relationships with people who value me as a total person (yes, including my stable retirement income) then I cannot imagine being a "burden" to them.

It is sad to me that you feel your own flesh and blood would see you as such.

Peace~

michela1300 wrote:

We are thinking about moving to Vietnam to retire in either Danang or Vung Tau. However,  trying to find some information about rest homes in Vietnam has been difficult as we don't know where to start other than limited on line google search.
We would like to find out how other retirees deal with the issue of getting old and can't take care of yourself.
Any suggestions of resources  about rest homes in the above locations will be much appreciated.
We are viet kieu so the language barrier is not a problem for us. We like to live in the coastal areas to avoid pollution.  Danang is a big city with lots of hospitals. We also understand that someone posted a new hospital built in Ba Rieu , which is only a few miles from Vung Tau.

Thank you for your input. Just out of curiosity,  is it a normal practice in VN to take a stranger into your home to take care of them for pay? If so, I suppose that is an option.  However,  I would prefer staying at an institution which has professional health care provider.
I am not sad that I don't rely on our children to take care of their aging parents.  It is just a personal choice we make as the responsibility can be very stressful for the care provider. Not only that, we want to move to an Asian country and our children are staying back in the US so they can't move to wherever we move.That is not a viable solution .
Best of luck to you in finding your future home.
Ciao.

Hi mIchel,
At the end of the day if we all live long enough to die of “natural” causes , then it's likely you'll be paying someone to look after you depending on your physical capacity.

In so called western civilisation, that's going to be a big number $$$. Getting a live in , or visiting carer ain't cheap.

In SE Asia,  you can do virtually the same thing for a lot less, with a change in lifestyle that may invigorate your remaining days.
Main thing to consider is availability of acceptable medical treatment facilities within reach.

There's no shortage of news articles recently of aged care facilities in western countries treating old people like mugs.   

You can do just as well here, and a local family will appreciate the added income.   From what I've seen, when your “time comes” , the only people with a vested interest in you will be funeral directors & beneficiaries of your Will.

Why not have some variety & an interesting change of life when it comes to your last throw of the dice. 😉

Hello Yogi 007,

This is very interesting,  you are the second person on the forum to suggest getting a local family to take care of elderly. Is it a common practice in VN that I am not aware of? Where do you find these families and how do you screen them? What kind of compensation do they expect? How do you know they will provide a good and decent care to someone who will depend on them and is at their mercy.  And finally, is that what a retiree  in VN does instead of going into an institution?
.

I wouldn't say it's common practice,,but situations develop and it ends up that way.

I know a guy here, he's only 52 , healthy ,..but f****n useless.  He's got a woman here that does everything for him.  Buys his food, feeds his pets, washes & repairs his clothes , cleans , pays his bills, buys stuff he can't be bothered looking for himself...etc etc. & gets a “tip” for he time.

They are NOT in a relationship and don't live together either. She lives nearby and helps out when needed.    You see that a lot here.

A lot of single men usually end up marrying a woman who will eventually become a carer due to the age difference. She'll be young enough to do it.

Another old bloke got sick, and had a live in carer ...$20 a day.   

Don't worry about finding someone to take it on,...@ $20 a day plus accommodation & meals, that's a good wage in VN.    What you pay is negotiable depending on the situation . 

You'd be surprised at how many will put their hand up for a job like that.

Thanks for the insights.  Where do you look to find someone who is trustworthy? Do you go through an agency or just through people you know.
We are also looking at Thailand as a possibility since health care there is better than VN. Although,  I prefer VN since we speak the language and the weather is not as hot.

Many Americans landing in Asia are seen as extremely rich (and many are by local standards), thus they are targets for scammers of every nature.
There are no absolutes to aim at but recommendations from trusted sources or Yogis are commonly a good idea to follow up on.

Maybe you could enquire at hospitals or medical centres.  They may know of people who are likely to have some kind of training in aged care & has basic first responder emergency skills who need work.

The guy I mentioned earlier , he got a waitress from a restaurant he regularly ate at.  She did a wonderful job.  If something seriously happens , it'll be an ambulance situation anyway.  So long as they have  CPR skills & basic first aid until an ambulance gets there.

A lot of aged care facilities in the western countries won't have a Doctor on the premises 24/7 either. 

Things can get interesting with how the finances are handled if you are physically unable to get to a bank.   That means someone you can trust will be doing the bank/ ATM transactions.

Just remember, most banks in the “fine print” state that if you give your PIN number to a third party to operate your card ..that's virtually the same as authorising them to operate the account.

Ocean Beach,  Yogi, and THIGV, all 3 gentlemen have given you the suggestions that are ideal for you or anyone who shares your concern.  It seems to me the suggestions do not jive with your preference, however.

You asked, "Is it a normal practice in VN to take a stranger into your home to take care of them for pay?"  The answer is yes.  Not normal as every day occurrence, but it has been done many, many, many times over.

Family is not whom you are related to but whom you choose to include in your life.  The same goes for "strangers".  In many Asian, South American, and even old European countries (I don't have any knowledge of African nations), once a stranger is accepted into the bosom of a family, s/he is no longer a stranger but a member of that family, financial compensation notwithstanding.

You asked, "Where do you find these families and how do you screen them?"  There isn't a place where you find these caretakers.  No one in VN sets out to turn their house into an elderly care centre nor do they subject their family to be caregivers to strangers. 

Personal connection is the core of life here as in many other countries.  You make friends, you become a good friend, you treat people well, accept them into your life, and you receive the same treatments from them.  To the people with whom you form a good relationship, you'll become Aunt Michela or Grandma Michela, not only to them but also to their children.  That's how you "screen" people, by knowing them as the everyday persons, not the workers.

You asked, "What kind of compensation do they expect?"  The answer is depending on how extensive the level of care you expect from them. 

The average salary for an unskilled worker is $300/m with evenings and weekends off.  If you want someone to work 7 days a week, 16 hrs a day, then you pay her more.  If you want her to be a live-in caregiver, then you provide room, board, and higher salary.  If she has a degree in nursing or nutrition or if she was a cook at a restaurant and can provide healthy dishes at the drop of a hat, then you pay her even more.  And remember, you always give your good workers Christmas bonus, which is approximately one month salary.

You asked me how I'll deal with the issue when the time comes.  Unless my daughter wishes to bring me back to the States so I can be near her (a very strong possibility), my spouse and I will stay right here in this beach town, in our own apartment, and have a part-time caregiver who comes and helps us with our needs. 

I cannot live cheek by jowl with other elderly people because being surrounded by people with deteriorated health will make me very depressed and the depression will kill me.  I'm outgoing but I also enjoy my own company, prefer my solitude, and need to maintain my identity.  I cannot function in a group on a daily basis.  Being known as Room 21B, for instance, the way doctors and nurses identify their charges, would destroy my will to live.  (Truth, not hyperbole.)

Thanks to all of you, Ciambella, Yogi, Oceanbeach, TGHIV and Fred for your inputs. You all have been very helpful in providing the information we need to make a decision what we should do and where we should retire. I agree that in searching for the answer, the key question is who do we trust to be our care provider. I also appreciate that some of you have raised some interesting issues that I have not thought of before. I have also found out going  through this research process, I walk away with more questions than answer.

Hi,

You brought up a very interesting question, so who do you trust to give out your ATM password to when you can't physically go to the bank?

Hi again, Michela1300:

Ciambella explained it better than I could, and those were my thoughts too! 

I'm a retired Registered Nurse, and I'll only add an outline for you, as that may help you visualize the path from retirement to repose.

1. There is a type of retirement home in the USA described as "Independent Living". It's usually an apartment or condominium type structure, though it may be a collection of smaller homes with common services available.

That's usually the first "move" for retirees, and it's what you'll be doing when you move to Vietnam: downsizing (probably) and making services as convenient as possible.

Some people in Independent Living hardly use any services, but they are available if desired, including housecleaning and community dining options.

Many rentals in Vietnam fit this description, especially those listed as "services included". As one landlord described it, you get almost everything you expect from a hotel, including furniture, linens, kitchen basics (pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, utensils, etc), cleaning (at least once or twice a week), security (think 'doorman') and most if not all utilities (electric seems to be the most common exclusion).

Many places even offer breakfast to residents, or the landlord will cook a meal for a modest extra charge. Obviously, these features vary from place to place, but they still seem to be more common than not.

In addition to what is provided under your rental agreement, you are free (at a reasonable price) to add any domestic services that will make your life more 'independent', such as daily cleaning, regular laundry help, cooking, shopping, etc. 

In the U.S. in healthcare, we refer to these as 'Homemaker" services, and it's usually the first level of assistance as people get older.

But you don't have to have a "need" in order to engage these services in Vietnam. Because of the low cost of living, you can simply decided to start pampering yourself and your husband, by freeing yourself up from the mundane everyday tasks of life to be able to have more free time to do whatever you want (arts & crafts, golf, amusements, recreation...you name it).

If you can afford homemaker services, I highly recommend you take advantage of them (given your concerns about aging and healthcare) as this will serve to help transition you into the next stage...

2. "Assisted Living I":

Now you need more personal care, but not necessarily 'medical' care.

You might need help with personal grooming or bathing, dressing and undressing, moving about your home, even taking oral medications*. In a nutshell, more personal, intimate help, but not necessarily 'medical care'.

[*Some people insist that a licensed Nurse assist with ALL medications. I feel that if the patient doesn't have any cognitive impairment, and all bottles of pills are clearly marked, almost any person can assist with this task].

Assisted Living is the most difficult transition for many people to make, especially if they have NOT been allowing domestic help to gradually become a part of their personal lives.

It will be much easier for you if you have already been establishing a relationship with domestic help, especially since they may be able to also provide this level of care.

3. "Assisted Living II":

Now you need the services of a 'Skilled Nurse', though you don't need a special facility. If the Nurse can come to you, that will help preserve your independence and privacy. The nurse can even supervise the responsibilities of your domestic help, making sure that all of your special needs are being met. So you can still have Assisted Living in your home.

4. "Skilled Nursing Facility" - SNF

We've finally reached the point where we 'need' a NURSING HOME...or, have we??

There is very little (if anything) that a Nursing Home can provide, that Skilled Nursing in your own home can't provide.

Sadly, Nursing Homes have become a horrible necessity as Western society has evolved, and families are no longer able to take care of the elderly and infirm at home.

One reason (as has been said) is cost. It costs a lot in America to hire a homemaker, home health aide and/or a skilled Nurse to provide private care, ESPECIALLY when the family is unable or unwilling to provide most of the unskilled help (such as cleaning and washing a person and their linens after they have soiled themself in bed).

But Vietnam is still a society where there is both time and willingness for people to care for other people, without shipping them off to a Nursing Home.

5. "Hospice"

The vast majority of my patients hated the idea of dying in a hospital, or any institutional setting. They much preferred the idea of passing away at home, surrounded by those who care about them.

Again, there is no reason, other than economics and time, that Hospice Care cannot be provided at home.

Remember, you might need a "Hospital" at some point, but that need should always be viewed as temporary, with the goal being a return home to rehabilitate with the assistance of appropriate care, or to begin Hospice Care.

I wish you the very best in your retirement, and I hope you feel empowered to create the ideal situation that meets your personal needs.

Cheers! 

michela1300 wrote:

Hi,

You brought up a very interesting question, so who do you trust to give out your ATM password to when you can't physically go to the bank?

Please don't be afraid to become connected to people in Vietnam (both 'locals' and ExPats).

I recommend re-reading Ciambella's previous post to see how you can develop this type of trust in new relationships, in Vietnam.

michela1300 wrote:

Hi,

You brought up a very interesting question, so who do you trust to give out your ATM password to when you can't physically go to the bank?

Hi,
Easy,,just make sure your bank has online banking.
Set up TWO accounts , with the ATM card only linked to one of them.
Keep the bulk of funds in the main account & just transfer what's required to account that has the ATM card linked.

Hi Ocean Beach,

Thank you for your detailed outline of health care needs level. I appreciate you giving me these information which I find very helpful.
Do you feel that you can trust the available hospital in Danang. What are your experiences with these hospitals? Do you have one that you prefer?
I also read a comment from a person on this forum about counterfeit medication.  Is this a widely practice? I suppose that will only happen in small remote town or my assumption is wrong.
Where would you start to find your adopted family? I assume that you depend on people you made acquaintances with? Do you belong to certain social clubs or groups for support?

Hi Yogi,

Thanks for your response. You have been of great help.
Do you find the quality of hospitals available in Danang is up to par? Granted that, you would be going to a private hospital. I also heard that medication there can be counterfeited. Can you please comment on these issues.

michela1300 wrote:

Do you feel that you can trust the available hospital in Danang. What are your experiences with these hospitals? Do you have one that you prefer?

I am not in Đà Nẵng currently, so I don't know. Perhaps someone else does. I'll be headed to Đà Nẵng from Hà Nội at the end of September.

May I caution you against attempting to micro-arrange your retirement from afar, especially through the internet? As helpful as this site may be, you'll likely get your most reliable recommendations for most things once you actually arrive and build face-to-face relationships.

michela1300 wrote:

I also read a comment from a person on this forum about counterfeit medication.  Is this a widely practice? I suppose that will only happen in small remote town or my assumption is wrong.

Counterfeit medication is quite ubiquitous in Vietnam, though the definition of 'counterfeit' varies from case to case. Most important will be for you to identify a trusted pharmacy, once you arrive. For some ExPats, this means getting their meds from a pharmacy in a different city.

Realize that some counterfeit meds are totally worthless fakes, while some lack the full potency described on the package. Other genuine meds have been repackaged with new expiration dates, so their efficacy will be unknown. Other meds (usually those still under patent) have actually been duplicated exactly, but are not authorized by the patent holder. In that case, the harm is not to the patient, but to the patent holder, due to loss of profits. That type of counterfeit is sold at a price closer to what a generic version might demand, yet works well for the patient, so...

Best to trust a good pharmacy to sift through all of those possibilities for you.

michela1300 wrote:

Where would you start to find your adopted family? I assume that you depend on people you made acquaintances with? Do you belong to certain social clubs or groups for support?

Personally, as I mentioned in my first reply, I would ideally like to marry into a family which would adopt me as I commit myself to them. I think I would be best matched with a middle-aged widow.

However, I'm going to live my life realizing that may not happen.

So I'll initially live in a hotel. That's very affordable in Đà Nẵng and elsewhere, and I recommend that anyone consider that for at least the first month.

Give yourself time to leisurely explore the city and countryside with more than one leasing agent, and hopefully with new friends you make.

IF I were in your situation, I would first look for a three bedroom house or apartment, allowing you to provide housing for your domestic help, while still having an extra room for you and your husband to use.

As you get to know your domestic help and treat them well, who knows what might develop?

Meanwhile, you can be keeping your eyes open for the perfect 'homestay' situation, where a family with a large house may have plenty of room for you and include everything including meals in one price. Not every homestay does this, but if you make an effort to discover such a situation, I'm sure you will.

Hi Ocean Beach,

I am just doing a preliminary research for information I deem to be our priorities.  Yes, I agree with you that in order to know the place or country better, we will eventually need to be there and experience the real thing.
Thanks to the input of the community on this forum, yours included, it has been an eye-opener for me. Being away from the country so long, I didn't realize it has changed so much. But I suppose just like everything else that chages with time. Visiting the country and what we had seen in a short period of time was just a scratch on the surface. And I totally agree with you, we have to live there to really know the country well.  In the mean time, I hope VN will catch up with the rest of the world as I believe with no doubt, that it will. 
I also hope that you will find a good family that will take you in and treat you well as one of their members.

Forgot to ask you, how do I find a good pharmacy?

Don't worry mate..
There's a pharmacy on every second corner.   After a while, you'll figure out which ones offer the best range of meds & service.

At ages of 64 & 70 and in reasonable condition, you've got plenty of time to asses your options once you get here.   For a start, you can speak the language, have a cultural connection with the people and hopefully your not stupid. ( from what Yogi has seen , that's an issue with a lot of Expats).

You'll probably be surprised at how easily you'll fit back in.   Just rent a place for as long as you like and try not to live like a tourist.   Live an everyday life like the locals & you'll soon figure out your next move.

Unless your already in a walking frame & dribbling , the issue your concerned about could be years down the track.  By then you'll have all your concerns settled.

Good luck.

michela1300 wrote:

Forgot to ask you, how do I find...*snip*

I am sending you a request to be contacts on Expat.com. Once I arrive in Đà Nẵng from Hà nội, you will have a friend there. It will be my honor to invite you to tea.

Cheers!

Hi Yogi,

Thank you for your encouragement and support. I think Vietnam is probably changing very fast and I believe for the better. We are still at a reasearch stage and definitely have to come back to vidit the country to decide where we want to retire. And yes, we agree with you, once being there, we will be living like the locals and not as tourists.
We hope you will find VN to be your new home and enjoy the slower pace of living there.
Ciao

Yep it's a good spot to be.

Referring to your concerns about having a paid carer,,Yogi last night was at a wedding & happened to mention that foreign retirees will PAY a local person to look after their living or health requirements.

When I mentioned I knew at least three Expats that are paying $600 a month for live in care including meals & accommodation EVERYONE at the table took notice.  All stopped eating & listened . 

Even my lady friend dropped her chopsticks.   

I don't think you'll find it a problem getting help here,  you'll just have sort & select the right person.

Yogi007 wrote:

When I mentioned I knew at least three Expats that are paying $600 a month for live in care including meals & accommodation EVERYONE at the table took notice.  All stopped eating & listened .

I'll bet they were shocked

Yogi007 wrote:

Even my lady friend dropped her chopsticks.   .

Lucky you

Yogi007 wrote:

I don't think you'll find it a problem getting help here,  you'll just have sort & select the right person.

Very probably true.

Hi Yogi,

We are glad to hear that there are people who share the same sentiments as ours. You probably have eased their concerns by mentioning the care givers in the country.
Thanks again for giving us the information we needed.
Ciao

Hi Michela, I'm a 76 years old retiree ( Caucasian) with previous experience of living while on business in Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand and Peoples Republic of China. Having done huge research on my own retirement plans over the last 15 years I can confirm that Da Nang is an excellent choice. Without going into too much detail Thailand has much better hospitals infrastructure  and a more polite environment but Thailand is not a homely place for foreigners who have no family here. One last point is that the Asean  region is not generally politically stable and in that context Vietnam is the pick of the bunch given your ethnicity

Right across the street from the hotel where I normally stay at My An Beach ( China Beach)  is a large rest home . Out of curiosity I took my self on a tour of inspection and what I saw was a lot of very happy smiling old folk.

Hi Glenn,

Thanks for the information you were addressing.  Can you tell me the name of the rest home in My An beach? I am wondering how long have you been in Da Nangand what do you think about the health care quality in this area? Your input would be much appreciated.

Does anybody know the name of the rest home in Da  Nang that Glenn was referring to?
Thanks.

Hi Michela

Sorry I do not have the exact name which I never knew. I'm not in Vietnam right now, but if you are, I'll tell you exactly how to locate it.

If you take Phan Tu Street from the Beach at My An it is just short of half way up Phan Tu on your left if heading away from the sea,

I will contact the hotel near there and see if I can find out it's name

Hi Glenn,

Thanks so much for your response. Unfortunately,  I am not in VN right now. I will be much obliged if you could find out the name of the rest home.
Thanks again.

On the first page of Google search, I found 2 nursing homes on Phan Tứ, the street that Glenn Moore mentioned:  http://suckhoenguoicaotuoi.edu.vn/nhung … p-da-nang/

- Trung tâm Mái Ấm Tình Thương at #18:  http://www.molisa.gov.vn/vi/Pages/chiti … DNews=2484https://baomoi.com/mai-am-cua-nguoi-cao … 984155.epi

- Trung Tâm Phụng Dưỡng Người Có Công Cách Mạng at #64:  https://danang.gov.vn/chinh-quyen/chi-t … 7&_c=3

In addition, here's the most recent article (August 29, 2018) on the imbalance between supply and demand that caused lengthy wait time on nursing homes:  https://laodong.vn/xa-hoi/nhieu-gia-din … 627884.Ido

Excerpt (my translation):

"Vietnam is one of the largest and fastest growing elderly population countries in Asia.  At the present, there are approximately 10 million elderly people, but within the next 17-20 years, the number will climb to 26-30 millions.  Therefore, the problems of elderly care has become urgent and very important.  The demand for nursing homes and elderly care centres is huge while the network is very limited and very weak.

"[Limited because] there are 102 integrated establisments in the country with elderly care as part of the facilities.  Out of those,  only 32 are specialised care units and most of them privately owned.  That's not even one centre per province.

[Weak because] elderly care personnel is not professionally trained.  Many centres have been concentrating only on physical care until recently when they're introduced to the business of nurturing, counseling, and basic rehabilitation."

Hi Ciambella,

Thank you for your response.  I think I came across  the two above rest homes a while ago while I was doing a google search. One of them, the first one was for charity and the second one was designated for  veterans or those who contributed to the revolution  of the country . I found it was very hard to look for information about these rest homes via the internet as they did not do a good job in advertising these private homes and there was no available central directory that I could search and I had no idea even where to begin.

michela1300 wrote:

as they did not do a good job in advertising these private homes .

When there's a ton more demand than supply (32 facilities for 63 provinces in the country), advertising is a waste of budget and would've made the situation worse. 

Without advertising, one of the facilities mentioned in the article has already been booked solid for a year in advance.  In reality, the one year wait could be extended to forever, or until someone dies and vacates his/her room.