Washable, absorbent underwear with low environmental impact for long-term care
E. Dijk, T. van Houwelingen, H. Kort
Full text PDF 
( Download count: 37)
AbstractIn the Netherlands, approximately one million people (around 750,000 women and 250,000 men) have some form of incontinence (Ooms et al. 2023). Fifty percent among the elderly residents in nursing homes and 90% in care facilities suffer from incontinence (Largo & Theunissen 2009). In long-term care, more than half of the waste consists of incontinence materials. It is important for our climate and therefore for everyone's health to reduce this enormous mountain of disposable incontinence materials. As a result, there is a significant CO2 emission. Reducing CO2 emission is one of the five pillars of the Green Deal Sustainable Care 3.0. The Green Deal Sustainable Healthcare is an initiative of the Dutch government to make the healthcare sector more sustainable. The aim is to reduce CO2 emissions in the healthcare sector while simultaneously improving the quality of care. The use of reusable incontinence materials is a good example in this regard. Priovention is committed to ending CO2 emissions from disposable diapers. To address this, they have developed the INDI (Intelligent Diaper), a sustainable, washable absorbent underwear, and the Ecosystem, a local collection, washing, and delivery service tailored for care facilities. This initiative not only reduces CO2 emissions but also enhances the quality of life for care recipients by prioritizing comfort. Priovention also aims to support healthcare personnel through future technological innovations. Success hinges on the support of all staff in long-term care facilities, considering factors like costs, product usage, logistics, and alignment with initiatives like the Green Deal Sustainable Care.Keywords: sustainability, ecosystem, reusable, incontinence material
E. Dijk, T. van Houwelingen, H. Kort (2024). Washable, absorbent underwear with low environmental impact for long-term care. Gerontechnology, 23(2), 1-1
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2024.23.s.891.opp