Elevated Toilets

Using the EASY Care Tool, Health Nest volunteers discovered that squatting during and getting up after using a pit latrine is an infernal torture to many older persons whose bones, joints and muscles are no longer able to respond the way they used to. The Uganda National Policy for Older Persons (The Republic of Uganda 2009) acknowledges “pit latrines are not user-friendly as older persons usually have squatting problems”. Squatting, even briefly, is a painful ordeal that tends to discourage and/or delay older persons from going to the pit latrine when the urge arises consequently leading to digestive and other health complications. In addition, older persons report eating only one meal a day to minimize using the pit latrine.

Older persons themselves together with their household members have identified the need for user-friendly toilets. Health Nest worked to install user-friendly pit latrines for older persons who most needed them.