Going Green at Home: The Perfect Activity for Your Elderly Parent
Leading an environmentally friendly lifestyle and reducing our carbon footprint is becoming more important than ever. Often we encourage the young to go green to instil positive values for life, but there is no reason why your elderly parent cannot start to lead a greener lifestyle too.
If you have an elderly parent or relative, encouraging them to lead a greener lifestyle can be a fun and rewarding way to spend time.
Buy Locally and Grow Your Own
One way to make an instant difference and lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle is to focus on buying local food from Sussex or even just Worthing. This can be easier in some locations than others, but you can make it into a weekly challenge to shop for food and other items that have been produced locally. Your care worker could also get involved if they help with the shopping and cooking.
If your parent wants to, you could even help them to grow their own vegetables in the garden. You do not need much space to grow a few vegetables in the garden, and using containers or building a raised vegetable patch can make the task simpler. Help your parent to establish a small area to grow vegetables, and you may find that it becomes a fun hobby for them.
Start Recycling More
People all over the country are recycling more than ever, which is great news for the environment. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to make sure you are doing your bit, and you can help your parent to organise their recycling so that they can send as little to the landfill as necessary.
Perhaps take some inspiration from this man, who only sent one bag of waste to landfill in a whole year!
Create a Compost Heap
Composting is another simple way to help the environment. Buy a compost bin or create a compost heap in the garden, and your parent can then dispose of all their organic waste here rather than sending it to landfill. Composting is more than just a job – it is also part of a popular hobby for many people, especially keen gardeners.
Buy Eco-Friendly Cleaning Materials
Rather than using standard cleaning materials, you may find that you can use biodegradable options instead. Vinegar and baking soda, for example, are known for their cleaning capabilities.
Make Changes Around the Home
You may want to help your parent to make some changes around the home to reduce their energy bills. For example, you could help them to replace their old light bulbs with more energy efficient CFLs, or even help them to find a more eco-friendly appliance like a washing machine, fridge or dishwasher when they need to buy a new one.
Encourage Your Parent to Go Green
Leading an eco-friendly lifestyle is fun and rewarding at any age. It can be especially rewarding for elderly people because it can give them something to focus on, and it can often become a fun hobby. Recommend some of the above ideas to your parent, and help them to get started, perhaps by investing in a compost bin or installing energy-efficient light bulbs.
