Using a squat toilet: Aging in a developing country

摘要

While working in a number of countries in Southeast Asia, I had the opportunity (or the necessity, to be more accurate) of using a squat toilet-a toilet not used by sitting but rather by squatting. Although there are different types of squat toilets, they all consist basically of a hole in the ground. Now, what does this have to do with gerontological nursing practice? It started me thinking about how older adults, with severe arthritis or other mobility limitations, manage to use them. What is it like to grow old in a developing country and what role do we, as gerontological nurses, have in promoting the well-being of older adults? Globally, declining fertility rates and longer life expectancy are changing the demographic landscape of our world. The world's population is aging (United Nations, 2001). Population aging is dramatic. For example, in the social realm, it affects health and health care, family relationships and roles, and living arrangements. Developed regions of the world, such as Europe, Japan, and North America, were the first to experience this demographic shift.