PUSHING BACK AGE
the body and lungs. Clean up the air according to the general
principles of environmental cleanup (see Four Clean-ups, page
409 ).
For the elderly pay special attention to chlorine in the air.
Shower water puts a lot of chlorine into the bathroom air which
then distributes itself through the rest of the house. Notice
whether your elderly person goes into the bathroom in fair shape
mentally but comes out confused, unreasonable. Not every day's
chlorine exposure will have the same effect. Trust your judgment.
Attach a carbon filter to the shower head (see Sources). Purchase
a variety that has very simple-to-replace cartridges. Figure out
how long it should last and write the date for replacement on the
outside of it for your own convenience.
Washing hands and face in chlorinated water can give off
enough chlorine to trigger a manic episode in a manic-depressive
person. Certainly, it is enough to cause mental ef-
When into and out of the bathroom is a different performance
suspect chlorine. Put a filter on your faucets.
Fig. 35 Chlorinated water can cause mental problems.