Application of Skills Acquired During My Học Mãi Fellowship

This reflection from a geriatric and palliative care clinician in Vietnam considers how care for older adults can move beyond disease management to support function, quality of life and informed decision-making, informed by a 6-week Học Mai fellowship in Australia. It provided insight into how core geriatric principles are embedded across the continuum of care, from acute to community settings. Key lessons included the role of allied health in multidisciplinary care, the routine assessment of frailty, mobility, cognition, nutrition and sensory function, early integration of advance care planning and stronger linkages between hospital and community-based services. Following the fellowship, selected elements were adapted in Vietnam, including multidisciplinary meetings, routine functional assessment and a locally appropriate advance care planning model, with greater emphasis on continuity of care and family-supported management. These reflections highlight the potential to strengthen the quality of care for older adults in Vietnam through contextually adapted, person-centred approaches, supported by capacity-building experiences that enable locally appropriate innovations.