Elderly Vietnamese parents transfer assets to adult children and face neglect

A 71‑year‑old mother in Vietnam transferred her house and a sizable cash sum to her two sons, hoping for companionship in old age. After moving in with the elder son, she was soon tasked with household chores and financial contributions, while her presence was marginalised at family events. She later discovered that the younger son’s family expected her to bear the cost of her own care, prompting her to return to her former residence.

Separately, a 60‑year‑old retiree devoted his entire monthly pension to support his son’s family. He later learned, from a message on his daughter‑in‑law’s phone, that the money was being spent on an extravagant family trip abroad, leaving him shocked and financially strained. Both accounts illustrate how elder family members in Vietnam can be sidelined after gifting their assets or pensions to adult children.