By Natasha Bryant
A new LTSS Center project will explore how climate change is affecting the older population.
The quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has risen to record levels in the past century, according to the United Nations.
The LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and the Sustainable Solutions Lab (SSL) at the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) are working together to find out just how the corresponding change in the global climate is affecting the older adult population.
The research project, which runs through this fall, will include a review of the literature on climate change and older adults, and will produce a final report exploring:
- The characteristics that make older adults more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
- The health impacts of environmental hazards and climate change on older adults.
- Strategies for addressing these concerns and helping this vulnerable population.
BACKGROUND
SSL, an interdisciplinary partnership among 5 schools and 4 institutes at UMB, received a $1 million grant from the Barr Foundation in December 2018 to focus on the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable populations. Older adults are one potentially vulnerable group that could be negatively impacted by climate change.
Kathrin Boerner, associate professor of gerontology at UMB and an LTSS Center fellow; Robyn Stone, co-director of the LTSS Center; and Natasha Bryant, managing director and senior research associate at the LTSS Center’s Washington, DC office will take part in the project. Their work will focus on older adults living in the community and those receiving long-term services and supports (LTSS).
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Researchers are working with Caitlin Connelly, a UMB graduate student, to review the literature on climate change and to document the following topics:
- The increased risks or vulnerabilities for older adults, including LTSS recipients, that are associated with climate change.
- The physical and mental health effects of increasing pollution, extreme weather, and natural disasters on older adults.
- The preparedness of older adults for natural disasters and environmental hazards, and their coping strategies.
- The preparation and response of aging services providers assisting older adults who are impacted by a natural disaster.
- State and community policies and resources.
The project’s final report will highlight the findings from the literature review. In addition, the report will identify gaps in the current research and topics for future research; strategies for influencing public policies; and interventions that providers can use to help older adults alleviate some of the physical, social, and emotional damage associated with climate change.