Having your parents move in with you is a viable alternative to assisted living care. While this co-living arrangement has some challenges, the benefits are undeniable. It’s also economical, since there’s no need for your loved ones to pay for rent or separate utilities. Plus, you can take care of and spend time with them, as well as oversee their health needs. You can even get them to live sustainably by slowly integrating green behaviors into their lifestyle. 

These changes can improve their health, while encouraging them to participate in the fight against climate change. Here are seven ways to pursue sustainable living habits after aging parents move in. 

1. Swap Incandescents With LEDs

Incandescent bulbs are energy sponges. Sure, they illuminate your home, but they also drain hundreds of watts, driving your monthly bills up. Consequently, you end up paying more for something you can get cheaper. 

Switching to LEDs can reduce your electricity consumption. Since they’re 80%-90% more energy-efficient, and don’t devour electricity as much as traditional lights, they’re an investment worth every dollar. If your parents forget to turn the lights off in the kitchen, and hours go by, at least you won’t have to worry about an excessive bill. 

2. Go Smart With Appliances

Smart thermostats, TVs and kitchen appliances can reduce your energy-related expenses. These devices use motion sensors to automatically power off systems when they remain idle for a few minutes. They are sustainable and keep your home safe from electrical fires caused by overheating. 

From 2017 to 2021, more than 58% of people who died in cooking fires were 55 years of age and older. One of the reasons for this is unattended or unsupervised cooking. If your parent enjoys spending time in the kitchen, but forgot to turn off the electric or gas range once, know the chances of it happening twice is high. 

Changing to a smart stove is the wisest and safest option to reduce the risk of fires. Even if your parents forget they’re cooking — which often happens as forgetfulness starts to kick more frequently as some people age — the stove is equipped with a safety feature that turns off automatically. This way, you can keep your home safe.

3. Set up an Eco-Friendly Home Elevator 

Research shows 14% of older adults are co-living with a household head who is their child — this could increase as America turns gray. A personal elevator is an essential house addition, if your aging parents live with you. Installing one will increase their independence and ease when moving from the second to the first floor. 

There’s one concern, though — elevators consume a lot of energy. Thankfully, you can make them sustainable. When the car uses gravity to ascend on a light load or descend with a heavy one, its motor creates electricity, which typically dissipates. This energy releases heat that warms the room, consequently increasing the need for HVAC cooling. 

A regenerative driver attached to the motor can capture this wasted energy and store it for use in the future, like a generator. This power transmission system can support convenient vertical transportation within your home and also counter the energy requirement load of an elevator system, making your home eco-friendly.

4. Power up Your Home With Solar

Solar panel installation may cost you upfront, but can save you in the long run and minimize your household’s carbon footprint. It also won’t rack up your bill if your aging parent forgets to turn off home appliances while you’re away or at work. Since the energy used is from a clean power source, it won’t have a significant negative impact on the planet. Solar is a simple way to help you live sustainably once your parents move in.

5. Change Disposable to Reusables

Plastic accumulates on the Earth’s surface and wreaks havoc on all living forms. Experts estimate there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050, if people don’t cut back. 

Using reusable materials is one way your aging parent can help the environment. Do you notice them packing vegetables or fruits in plastic bags? Are they bringing them home from the grocery store? Take the time to educate them about its effect on the planet. 

While you’re at it, slowly replace disposable materials with reusables. For instance, if they use cling film to cover leftovers or wrap foods, buy an eco-friendly substitute like reusable food wraps. They’re sustainable and don’t contribute to pollution.

6. Install Low-Flow Fixtures

Does your parent sometimes leave the faucet on? Installing low-pressure showerheads, faucets or toilets can minimize water wastage. According to the EPA, fixtures with WaterSense logos can reduce usage by 30% and save about 700 gallons of water yearly. It’s one of the best ways to conserve scarce freshwater resources and live sustainably.

7. Collect Greywater for Reuse

You can take your water conservation efforts a step higher by setting up a greywater system. Dirty water from the kitchen and bathroom is diverted to dedicated pipes that release it to the garden to aerate trees and plants. Some have a filtering feature designed to purify wastewater, so you can reuse it for washing a car and cleaning the garage. You can save hundreds on your bill by installing a recycling water plumbing system.  

Encourage Older Relatives to Live Sustainably

By making small changes in their lifestyle, you can teach your aging parents about environmental conservation and give them a chance to get involved in this global movement. The simple act of skipping plastic while shopping for groceries can make a huge difference in reducing landfill waste. Motivate your loved ones to protect the planet, live sustainably and create an eco-friendly home for their grandchildren to grow up in.