Washington, D.C. — As people age, they face higher risks of extreme heat-related health conditions and deaths. With nearly 1 in 4 Americans projected to be age 65 or older by 2050, urgent federal, state, and local policy action is needed to address extreme heat and protect older adults. A new report from the Center for American Progress reviews how older adults’ health status, energy insecurity, neighborhood conditions and housing quality, and social connectedness uniquely impact their ability to stay protected from extreme heat. This report also outlines federal, state, and local policy actions that should be taken to protect older adults from extreme heat, the deadliest form of extreme weather. These recommendations include:
- Explicitly incorporate climate and heat-related solutions within aging policies and programs
- Ensure health care systems and insurers can meet the unique needs of older adults during extreme weather
- Articulate and integrate the needs of older adults into climate preparedness and resilience interventions and policy solutions
- Accelerate efforts to reduce emissions and pollution through greater clean energy use, including increased uptake of the Biden-Harris administration’s climate investments
“As our population continues to age and summers get hotter, it’s crucial that policymakers take action to protect our most vulnerable older adults from preventable heat-related illnesses and deaths,” said Marquisha Johns, associate director of public health at CAP and co-author of the report. “Incorporating heat-related solutions into aging policies and programs now will help keep older Americans safe now and for years to come.”
Read the report: “Protecting Older Adults From the Growing Threats of Extreme Heat” by Marquisha Johns, Beth Almeida, and Jill Rosenthal
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sarah Nadeau at [email protected].