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Yellow Flag
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« Power Up Friday | Main | The African Violet Queen »
December 8, 2008 |Permalink |Comments (5)
Yellow Flag
Emi Kiyota writes...
A small town in Miyazaki, Japan started a “Yellow handkerchief campaign,” to watch over elders in their community.This approach is quite simple and very low cost. Yellow handkerchiefs on a bamboo stick were distributed to 120 households where elders live alone in this town. When elders get up in the morning, they display a yellow handkerchief at the entrance. Then, bring it into their houses in the evening. If the handkerchief is not displayed outside in the morning, neighbors visit the house and check on the elder.
A 78 year old woman who lives by herself commented that “I feel safe and protected by neighbors who constantly check to see whether or not my yellow handkerchief is displayed at my entrance. Their kindness motivates me to wake up in the morning everyday.”
This simple system is working well and it has now expanded to 810 households. Moreover, many towns are considering introducing this system.Japan has been known as a “high-tech” country, but technologies can be confusing and sometime costly to implement a “surveillance system” for elders. It may even raise an ethical concern about violating privacy of individuals. I was so glad to find this human scale social support system that helps, not only, to enable elders to remain in their home safely, but also, to naturally connect elders with neighbors with such a simple solution.
This is also quite an effective way to give elders a sense of control to regulate the boundary of privacy, because neighbors would simply respect their privacy in the house when the handkerchief is displayed outside. Moreover, the yellow handkerchief gives opportunities for neighbors to start conversations with elders in non-threatening ways.
Comments ( 5)
brilliantly simple, inexpensive, effective, empowering, and many other things. Can not see any negatives to it - where do we sign up : ) ?
Posted by
Alisa MAgS2
![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.umbc.edu/blogs/changingaging/nav-commenters.gif)
December 8, 2008 7:34 PM
I LOVE the simplicity and the sense of control the elder has in the yellow flag initiative. Thanks for sharing these great ideas.
Louise Morman
www.EldercareLearnings.com
Posted by
Louise Morman
December 8, 2008 11:19 PM
This is simply amazing! Kudos to the Japanese for implementing this DEVELOPMENTALIST system!
Posted by
Rachel M.
December 9, 2008 10:26 AM
Imagine that, a low-tech solution to a real problem that involves the community. Kudos to the tech savvy Japanese for a cool invention.
How refreshing to read about this no-cost method of elder surveillance. Indeed, the underlying value here is that the community cares about its elders and have agreed to take on the responsibility of checking on them, albeit in a discreet manner. Leave it to the Japanese, wise inventors of technology, to come up with such a simple and meaningful solution to a common social concern.