Thanks to progress in science and tech, living standards have been rising by leaps and bounds. Those who lived one hundred years ago could not possibly have imagined what comforts and conveniences are available in the 21st century. Some old folks today, therefore, find it hard to adapt to the new lifestyle.

Last week, Dad was hospitalised. In the City Hospital, he shared his ward with an 80-year-old man. The senior citizen was ill because he had not ingested much food for several days on end. His family had no choice but to place him under medical care. At the medical centre the man quickly got back on his feet. The reason why he had responded so fast to the treatment was not that the docs there had great expertise, but that the ward was cool.

It turned out that the octogenarian lives on his own. To save on the cost of living, the frugal man never turns on the air-conditioners installed in his own house. This summer has witnessed one heatwave after another. The wretched old guy ended up weak and sick.

It is a classic case of penny wise and pound foolish. His sons and daughters had to foot a large bill for the father’s medical care at the hospital. Had the old guy used AC in his own house, the hospitalisation would not have happened and thus he would have saved his family much more. His “sacrifice” backfired spectacularly.

My grandparents are the same lot. When they are home alone, they never think of turning on AC as if the facility did not exist. In their eyes, air-conditioners are a luxury rather than a necessity. Using them would constitute a heinous crime.

I think I am supposed to share the story with my grandparents. Hopefully they might give up some of their archaic practices.