Going green and care of older adults

Looking after my mother, age 82, has given me new insights into what it means to be environmentally aware when we look after older adults. It is not so straightforward.

My mother has been very conscious about turning off the lights (and thereby saving electricity) since she was young. But now, when I find her fiddling around in dim light in her room, I am concerned, fearing she might trip on something and hurt herself.

On occasions when I am burning the midnight oil, I notice my mother getting up to go to the bathroom, again finding her way in darkness and not turning on any lights. Though there is a night light in her room, it is dark in the bathroom. It is hard to convince her it would be better to turn on the lights in the bathroom. Fearing she may trip over something, we usually keep a lot of lights on to make a brighter environment for Mom.

That water conservation is an issue in caregiving is something else I didn’t realize before. You are less likely to conserve water if you are caring for a senior. While, in the past, Mom could turn off the tap in a second, now it takes considerably longer. With failing eyesight and less dexterity, it has become more frequent that my mother fails to fully turn off the tap. The tap can run for a long while before someone at home discovers it.

Even when someone is around, trying to reduce water use is not always easy. Mom moves slowly. Everything is always ready for her bath but she takes her time to undress, to check whether she has all her clothes and other items she needs, such as a face cloth. And so the tap keeps running to add hot water to the tub until she finally gets in and washes herself.

Increasing age leads to less efficient adaptation to environmental temperatures. My mother often complains of feeling too warm or too cold. To provide a more stable ambient temperature that makes her feel more comfortable, it becomes necessary to use a lot of air conditioning and heating.

Living with Mom for the last five months has made me realize that, as one who is environmentally conscious, use of sensing technology is very important in looking after seniors. The problem is that people who have lived in their own home for many years cannot always readily switch to using technological devices.

To me, the challenges ahead for gerotechnologists are twofold: developing innovative technologies that are readily adaptable to existing home settings and making these gadgets affordable.

Going green is good, of course. It is something that every responsible citizen should consider and in which they should become involved. However, there are concerns other than higher water and electricity bills. Not long ago, the Hong Kong government passed legislation that vehicles not in motion must have their engines turned off.

Hong Kong, however, lies in the subtropics. In the subtropical sun, the temperature can be significantly higher inside a vehicle. In yesterday’s news, it was reported that an 81-year-old minibus driver had been found unconscious in the driver’s seat. The air conditioning had been turned off while he was waiting in line to pick up passengers. He passed away the next day.
It is not so easy to draw the line between saving our planet and staying safe at the same time.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

About active ageing

My brother and I visited the Fujian Tulou (also called Earthen House) in southern Fujian Province, China, at the end of June. The tulou is an unusual type of Chinese rural dwelling. In 2008, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated the Fujian Tulou as part of the cultural heritage of humankind. I had wanted to visit the place since I saw a commercial featuring a tulou a few years back.

There is an interesting story about the tulou. Reportedly, during the Reagan Administration, the CIA mistook them for nuclear devices and sent an undercover team, in the guise of a cultural tour, to check out the facts.

Tulou are mostly found in the southwestern part of rural Fujian. The area is hilly, full of terraced fields for growing tea and vegetables. Most of the people who live there seem to be engaged in farming or farm-related industries.

Well, this entry is not really about tulou, but about active ageing. One of the images that remains in my mind from my trip is seniors who were busy working in the fields or selling things on the road. They always had something to do. They didn’t seem to be worried or sad. They seemed contented and had a sense of purpose. It made me wonder whether city life has turned us into beings who are far too structured, where there is a time for everything, including retirement from work. There is no retirement in rural living. What better illustration could we have for active ageing than this?


For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.