In Phoenix, the share of residents over age 65 is projected to rise from 10 per cent of its 1.6 million residents today to roughly 17 per cent by 2050.Īt the same time that these populations are rising, the number of days people will need air conditioning is rising, too. Retirees are often drawn to the South’s sunny skies, low taxes and costs of living and amenities, like golf courses, beaches, health care facilities and age 55+ residential communities tailored to their needs. Seniors with physical disabilities, limited mobility or lack of access to transportation can’t easily travel to a public cooling center - if there is one nearby. Those with cognitive problems or dementia may not understand their health risks or may not take proper precautions. Having to stay indoors all day to keep cool and enduring the stress of heat emergencies can make older adults depressed and isolated. Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesĪnd it’s not just physical health that suffers. I’m just trying to survive, that’s all,’ he told the photographer. Randy Twede, 70, sits in the shade while waiting for the bus on July 10, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Medications also work best when stored at room temperatures of 68 to 77 degrees and may lose their effectiveness if not kept in a cool place on a very hot day. Dehydration is a side effect of beta blockers and diuretics, which are used to help control blood pressure. Anticholinergics, used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, reduce our capacity to sweat. Prescription medications make older people more sensitive to heat. For older adults with physical health problems, temperatures as low as 80 degrees F (26.7 C) - to say nothing of 110 degrees - can pose a grave danger. Poor air quality makes it harder to breathe, especially among people who already have breathing difficulties. Heat stress can worsen underlying conditions like heart, lung and kidney disease, and extreme heat can trigger delirium. Older adults don’t sweat or cool down as efficiently as younger people. Triple-digit temperatures are miserable for everyone, but for older adults they can be deadly. But heat isn’t just a problem in the South: Northern populations also face rising risks from extreme heat that many people aren’t accustomed to.Ĭommunities, families and older residents need to understand these risks and be prepared. Some of the country’s hottest states, including Arizona, are forecast to see dramatic growth in their older adult populations. During the July 2023 heat wave, people gathered at the Justa Center, a day cooling center in downtown Phoenix for people age 55 and older who are homeless. While the evening news runs footage of miserable sunbathers on Miami Beach and joggers in Austin, Texas, dousing themselves with water, these images conceal a growing hidden crisis: the millions of older adults who are suffering behind closed doors.Īs researchers who study older adults’ health and climate change, we have found that two societal trends point to a potentially dire future: The population is getting older, and temperatures are rising. Other major cities, from Las Vegas to Miami, experienced relentless high temperatures, which residents described as “ hell on earth”. Phoenix hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) or higher every day for over three weeks in July. Scorching temperatures have put millions of Americans in danger this summer, with heat extremes stretching from coast to coast in the Southern U.S.
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